The Princess and the Farmer
by Bluemoon375
Summary: After he saves her life, Princess Keira begins to enter a relationship with a young farmer named Jack. Her father, however, refuses to let the two see each other and introduces her to a much wealthier man who will stop at nothing to get to the throne.
1. Captured

The sun had just finished setting over the prosperous and prestigious Golden Kingdom as its royal family continued to eat their dinner for the day. It would feel like any ordinary evening for them if it was not for the extra guest they had seated with them. Recently, the princess of the Kingdom, Keira, had come of age and her parents had taken it upon themselves to find her a husband. As expected, she was widely regarded around the kingdom as being one of the most beautiful girls in the world and attracted the attention of men far and wide. Whether it was due to her enchanting voice or her extremely long and bewitching black hair she, there was just something about her that made her desirable.

While Keira would be fine with any run of the mill gentleman, her father felt the opposite. Being king he felt that only a powerful or wealthy man was worthy of his daughters hand and personally picked out her potential suitors, only for her to reject them. She hated how they would treat her with forced kindness and speak only of their status in order to impress her. She secretly longed to find someone who could treat her as if she was a simple peasant and disregard her title of princess but she had yet to find such a man.

In an effort to avoid conversing with her suitor of the day, Keira was spending most of their dinner staring down at her plate while moving around her food which seemed to work until her mother took notice of her irregular behavior.

"Is everything alright Keira?" She asked. "You've been awfully quiet this evening."

Keira finally looked up from her plate and gave her a fake smile. "I'm fine mother. Just enjoying our company for this evening, that's all."

Her mother gave her a look that implied that she knew she was lying before returning to her dinner. "Well I would think that you would be a little more talkative then. It's rude and unladylike to ignore your own guest like this."

Keira let out an audible sigh at the mention of proper etiquette.

"Your mother's right Keira." Her father advised as he tipped his wine glass towards the man sitting across from her. "This fine gentleman is your suitor. You should get to know him."

She sighed again before looking up at her suitor sitting at the seat across from her. He was a rather slender man with black hair and a thin mustache wearing an equally thin blue tunic with yellow trimmings on it and seemed rather nervous to be in the presence of her family.

"Why don't you tell me about you do then?" She finally asked in a rather uninterested tone.

"Keira!" Her mother snapped.

Her suitor calmly placed his fork down before pulling out a handkerchief and dabbing his forehead. "It's quite alright, your highness." He placed the cloth back in his pocket. "I can understand if your daughter is a little uneasy this evening. I am actually a bit uneasy myself! It's not every day you get to be in the presence of such a fine young woman."

Though she was tired of hearing that compliment from so many different suitors, Keira gave him a small courtesy smile.

"Regardless of her feelings, she should be taking a greater interest in suitors such as yourself." Her father remarked. "Less of course she would prefer to lead this kingdom by herself in the future." He glanced over at her.

Keira looked at him for a moment before shifting her eyes back towards her suitor and finally her food. She then pushed her seat away from the table and got up.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Her mother asked rudely as she pointed towards her chair. "Sit back down, you have a guest here."

"I need to go get some fresh air." She answered as she began to walk towards the doorway.

"Nonsense, come back here at once and finish your dinner at once now." Her mother ordered.

"I'm not hungry." Keira muttered just loud enough so that her mother could her.

As she turned into the hall she could hear her parents begin to shout for the guards causing her to pick up her pace. Such was routine for them when she 'acted like a peasant' as they put it but she didn't care. She was already growing tired of her latest suitor and felt that it was time to return to her special spot to clear her head. Her special spot was just a simple pond out in the middle of the forest that surrounded the town outside the castle's walls making it the perfect spot to relax as the chances of being bothered out there were just about nonexistent. She couldn't wait to get there.

* * *

The moon had already taken its place high above the trees when Keira finally reached her special spot. She carefully removed her shoes and set them at her side as she took a seat next to the water's edge and stuck her feet in cool and clear water. She leaned back on her hands and shut her eyes as she took a deep breath as a small gust of wind ran through her hair. How she longed to be as free as something like that wind. To be able to go where she pleased and explore the world without being confined to her castle's walls or to public's image of her, that was the life she wanted. Suddenly a voiced called out to her, causing her to open her eyes and lose that image of her ideal life.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" It asked.

She quickly pulled her feet out of the water and turned around to see a hooded man with two similar looking men behind him.

"A pretty young girl such as yourself shouldn't be this far out in the forest all alone at this hour." He advised in a cunning manner.

Knowing his intentions weren't pure, she began to back away.

The man and his followers took a step towards her. "Don't be afraid."

"Get… get away from me." She warned.

"Aw come on, we're not going to hurt you, right guys?" He asked as the men behind him nodded their heads while laughing quietly.

Unable to trust them, Keira turned around and headed into the forest as fast as she could. It wasn't long, however, until her bare feet began to hurt from being exposed to the rough forest floor causing her to slow down. She briefly stopped and noticed a large tree nearby and hid behind it to catch her breath.

"She went this way." She heard one of the men yell to the others as their footsteps got closer and closer to her.

Her heart began to beat faster and faster with each approaching sound until it seemed that they were on the other side of the tree. She closed her eyes.

"Please…" She whispered to herself.

Almost as if something answered her imaginary prayer she opened her eyes as she heard her pursuers footsteps continue off in a different direction. Breathing a sigh of relief, she leaned back against the tree and slid down to the ground to catch her breath. Once she felt relaxed she returned to her feet and took a step forward, only for her foot to land ontop of a sharp rock. She gave a large shout and fell backwards as she clutched her injured foot. She could feel some blood coming out of the newly opened cut.

"Did you hear that?" She heard one of the men shout.

"She's back over there!" Another cried.

Wasting no time, Keira got up to her feet and resumed running but stepping on the twig covered ground proved too painful for her to handle with her injured foot and she soon fell down.

"Need a hand?" One of the men asked as.

Before she could do anything Keira felt an arm wrap itself around her neck and pull her up.

"What's the matter?" He asked mockingly. "Tire yourself out already?"

Keira flailed around to try and get free but her efforts proved futile.

"Ugh, what do you want?" She fearfully asked as she looked back at him.

"We just wanted to talk with you." He joked before tightening his grip around her. "But since you had to go off and run we're going to have to make catching you worth our while."

Her heart filled with fear. "I-I-I'm the p-princess." She stuttered. "If you t-try anything you'll regret it."

"You hear that? She's a princess." The man repeated as he turned around to his two followers. "Looks like today's our lucky day."

The man then threw her to the ground as the others circled around her. All Keira could do at the moment was look up at them with fearful eyes and let out a whimper.

* * *

**A/N: I told myself I wouldn't post this story for a while but I just couldn't resist doing it for some reason. I know it's another short intro chapter but I feel it's again necessary to start this story out.**


	2. Rescued

Keira's body shook from the intense amount of fear she felt from her current predicament. After she had told them she was the princess of the kingdom they resided in the three cloaked men she had encountered decided to capture her and were now deciding what they were going to do with her. In order to make sure that she wouldn't run away they had tied up her arms and legs and left her sitting against a tree a few feet away from the camp they had set up for the night.

"_Stupid… I'm so stupid…" _Keira thought to herself. _"How could I let something like this happen to me?"_

"So what are we going to do with her?" One of the men asked the others causing her to look over at them.

"I say we kill her." One of them suggested causing her to become even more frightened.

"Kill her? Are you stupid?" The leader of the three asked. "She's a princess and bound to be worth a fortune."

"So what are you saying we do?" The second one asked.

"Simple. We let her parents know that we have her and demand a nice reward for her 'safe' return." He replied.

"You can't be serious. We'll have every guard in the kingdom out looking for us." The second one said.

"That's why I say we just kill her. She's more trouble to us alive." The third one said.

"Don't worry, I have a plan." The leader told them.

He took out a small piece of paper and began to write something down on it.

"There." He said once he was finished. "But we're going to need some proof that we really do have her with us."

He stood up and walked over to Keira knelt beside her. He proceeded to tear off a small portion of the bottom part of her dress but what really frightened her at the moment was how he pulled out a small knife afterwards.

"And just to show them we really mean business." He said to the other two men before continuing.

He grabbed onto Keira's face and turned it to the side. She shut her eyes tightly, let out a whimper and began to cry as she felt him cut her cheek and proceed to wipe off some of the exposed blood from the wound onto the dress cloth he held in his hands.

"Here." He said as he handed the cloth and note to one of the other men. "Find a way to have these delivered the castle in town."

"What's the note say." The man asked.

"That we have the princess and that they are to deliver the amount of gold requested to the pond here in the forest if they ever want to see her again." The lead one replied.

"So they pay us and then we're just going to give her back?" The man asked.

The lead one looked over at Keira as she stared back at him with tears in her eyes. "Perhaps…"

Keira could feel her heart pound against her chest from fear as she watched the man nod his head and walk away into the forest with the note and blood stained cloth in his hands. Looked down at her dress and saw how her tears were washing the blood from her cut down her face and onto her dress, ruining it even more. She tried to break her hands free of the ropes that held them together but it was no use.

"Don't struggle to hard now." The lead one said as he walked up to her again.

"Please… just let me go." She pleaded.

"Don't worry, if that letter of mine can reach your parents I'm sure you'll be free in no time." He told her. "That is if they know how to listen."

"You're not going to hurt me are you?" She asked.

He began to laugh a little. "We'll see."

As he walked away the fear Keira felt reached its peak. Despite how much she hated being there she wished she was still back at dinner with her parents and the suitor, there at least she'd be safe. Her stomach let out a low growl at the fact that she hadn't even eaten anything since the morning. Praying that she would be safer when she awoke, she began to try and fall asleep.

* * *

The morning sun began to rise over the hills of the forest and Keira was finally sound asleep as the two remaining began to get aggravated at the fact that the other one had yet to return.

"Damn it, where is he?" The lesser one asked.

"I don't know but he better get here soon." The leader replied.

"He must have screwed up; we have to get out of here." The other man said, panicking.

"Calm yourself down. Beside's we still have the girl to worry about." The leader told him as he looked over at Keira as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Forget about her. She's going to end up dead either way." The other man said frightening Keira.

"W-w-what?" She asked nervously.

"You didn't think we were going to let you live did you?" He asked.

"Y-you said you w-weren't going to hurt me." She told them.

"I said we'd think about it." The leader told her.

Suddenly they began to hear rustling in the bushes and soon the other one emerged from the trees with his hood up only this time he appeared to be shorter.

"So did you deliver the message?" The leader asked him.

"You could say that it got delivered." He replied with a smirk.

"What's so funny?" The leader asked.

"It got delivered, just not to the right person." He told him.

He removed his hood to reveal a much younger looking man with brown eyes that matched the color of his hair much to the surprise of everyone else.

"Let's just say your messenger wasn't that smart." He continued.

"Who the hell are you?" The leader asked rather loudly.

"Name's Jack." He replied. "I'm the farmer your friend tried to steal from."

"What are you talking about?" The leader asked.

"I found your friend trying to steal my horse so he could try to get to the town near here so I had to scare him off. He dropped his cloak and your letter about how you've kidnapped the princess from around here while he ran so I took them both and decided to come looking for you." Jack explained.

The leader took out his knife. "Now that was pretty foolish of you."

Jack removed his sickle from underneath the cloak. "We'll see."

The leader looked at Jack angrily for moment before charging at him and swiping his dagger at him but he managed to step back in time to avoid getting hit. Jack swung his sickle at him and ended up grazing his wrist, cutting it and causing the man to drop the dagger and fall to his knees as he held onto his arm.

"Look out!" Keira shouted to Jack as the other man began to run up to him.

Jack looked at the other man and raised his sickle over his head and when he was close enough, pounded the wooden end of it into his head, knocking him out. He focused his attention back at the leader who was gripping onto his bleeding arm and attempting to escape the scene, his hood now removed revealing his dark black hair and beard.

"You win for now you damn peasant." He said to Jack before staggering off.

Jack put his sickle away and ran over to Keira.

"Are you alright?" He asked as he went behind her and began to untie her.

She didn't answer.

As soon as the last set of ropes fell from her body Keira turned around and immediately embraced him.

"T-thank you so much." She cried as she held him.

"They didn't hurt or do anything to you did they?" He asked.

She looked up at him. "No, they didn't do anything."

He noticed the cut on her cheek and placed his hand on her face and gently rubbed his thumb over it. "What about this cut?"

"It's nothing." She told him. "Just a cut that's all."

They looked into each other's eyes for a moment in silence until Keira grabbed onto his hand and held onto it with hers.

"Thank you. I don't even want to think about what they would have done to me if you hadn't shown up. They were talking about how they were going to kill me and I was so scared. I owe you my life." She told him.

"You don't owe me anything. I just heard you were in trouble and wanted to help." He told her while he helped her up to her feet. "You must be exhausted after all of this. Come on; let's get you to somewhere where you can relax."

* * *

**A/N: I don't know when the next update for this will be since I have to write for two other stories at the moment. R&R.**


	3. Strawberries

The sun's rays weaved around the various branches and leaves of the forest trees in order to shine upon Jack and Keira. Even though she knew it was safe, Keira still held onto Jacks arm and walked closely beside him as he led her through the trees. She had never been out this far in the forest and had no idea where he was taking her but knew that he wasn't going to cause any harm to her whenever they got to where they were headed. Eventually they reached a large open section of the forest and he stopped.

"Well here we are." Jack told her.

Keira let go of his arm as she began to look around the area. There was a large field of soil that occupied most of the area and a few sections of it contained sprouts and bushes of various different crops. In the corner sat a small cozy cottage and beside it there was a smaller building with a hay pile beside it which she guessed was his stable. Across from these two buildings sat another one that was just bit large than the cottage which was likely a barn of sorts. Despite the farms dirty appearance the whole place just felt so humble and relaxed to her.

"This is where you live?" She asked.

"I know you're probably not used to something like this but I think its quiet nice out here." He replied.

"Oh no I didn't mean to be rude or anything." She apologized. "It's just that I wanted to know if you really lived out here in the forest all alone."

"Yeah, I guess I sort of do. Occasionally I'll have to travel into town to get some supplies but for the most part I just stay around here." He explained. "I just thought that you could relax here for the day before I take you back to your home, or rather your castle."

"That's thoughtful of you." She said. "It's actually pretty calm out here."

He grabbed her hand. "Let me get you something to eat."

He walked her through the field of soil and over to the cottage before opening the door for her and motioning her to go through first, seeming to be giving her some special treatment. She walked inside and began to look around his house. For a person of his status he seemed to be doing quite well. He actually had furniture around his house such as a table, chair, a shelf and even a bed and not a just a pile of hay in the corner like she had been always been told.

"_Peasants are the filth of the kingdom, Keira." _ Her father would tell her. _"They have no wealth or honor to their name and live in piles of garbage. You'll always be better than them."_

"Is something wrong?" Jack asked as he watched her shake her head as she tried to get her father's words out of her head.

"No, I'm fine." She told him as she looked at him with a smile.

He smiled back at her. "Why don't you take a seat."

She nodded her head and walked over to the small wooden table and took a seat in the lone chair beside it. She looked at the table and noticed the torn cloth from her dress on top of the thieves ransom note as they sat on the center of the table before looking back at Jack. She watched as he removed the cloak he was wearing and placed it beside the door before going over to the corner of the room and picked up small cloth and a bucket filled with water. He walked back over to her and placed the bucket on the ground before placing the cloth in water and taking it out and dabbing it gently on the cut mark on her cheek.

"Let's get this cut of yours cleaned up first." He said as he continued to wash it.

She blushed a little at his kindness. "Thanks Jack."

He tossed the now slightly blood stained cloth aside before placing the bucket back in the corner. "I'm just trying to help you out. You know you haven't told me your name yet."

"It's Keira." She told him.

He bowed in front of her. "Then it's an honor to meet you Princess Keira."

"That's alright Jack, you don't have to treat me like I'm so special." She told him as she giggled at his gesture. "And you can just call me Keira, I won't mind."

"If you say so, Keira." He replied.

"So where's that food you said you had?" She asked trying not to sound rude.

"Oh I almost forgot." He exclaimed before walking over to the shelf.

He removed his only plate and placed a small loaf of bread on it. He also grabbed one of his few milk containers and placed both it and the plate of bread in front of Keira.

"Here you are." He told her.

She stared at the plate for a moment.

"I know it isn't much but it's all I have at the moment." He said sounding a little upset.

"It's fine, really. It's nice of you to give me some of your only food. That's so kind of you." She told him sincerely with a smile on.

He watched as she began to eat the small meal he had given her. When she finished he took the plate from her and placed it back on the shelf.

"Thank you Jack." She said as he walked back over to her. "I haven't eaten in over a day and really needed this."

"You must have had a pretty hectic day then huh?" He asked.

"It wasn't all that bad. It only got hectic after I decided to go out into the forest last night." She told him.

"Why'd you come out here?" He asked.

"It's a kind of complicated." She began. "I was eating dinner with my parents and a suitor of mine and they kept talking about how I supposedly liked him and I just couldn't take it anymore so I decided to leave and go to the pond out here so I could think. It was there that I was chased and eventually captured by those three thieves. I just got so lucky that you were able to come and save me."

"It was no trouble at all." He told her. "So it sounds like you're having some trouble with you parents or something?"

"They keep forcing suitors on me every other day so they can try and get me married. Not only is it annoying but they only introduce me to people they like, you know people that are rich and powerful. All I want to do is meet someone who I can like back." She told him.

"I'm sure you'll find someone you can like back at some point." He said. "Or who knows maybe you already found them."

She looked away and fiddled around with her long black hair while she blushed and spoke quietly. "Yeah, maybe I have…"

"Well I have some work I have to do out in the field so you're welcome to stay in here if you want." He told her.

She stood up from her seat. "You think I can help? I'd like to repay you for what you've done for me."

"You sure you want to help? I mean you really don't have to pay me back for what I've done." He asked.

"I know I don't have to do anything for you but I'd really like to help." She told him.

"Alright, if you'd like to I wouldn't mind." He said as he walked over to the door and picked up a large basket. "Come on, I'll show you what to do."

She followed him out of the house and over to the field. He walked up to a group of strawberry plants and knelt beside them. Keira knelled down beside him and he placed the basket he brought out between them.

"We have to harvest these." He told her.

"Alright." She replied.

Before he could explain anything else Keira reached out her hand and grabbed one of the strawberries off the bush and pulled it off the stem rather quickly and ended up slipping through her fingers due to her poor handling. She tried to grab it again but instead squished it causing its juice to get all over her dress. She looked down at her dress in disappointment for a moment before realizing that it matched the small blood stain on it and the proceed to look back at Jack.

"You have to be more delicate." He told her.

He reached out his hand and carefully pulled one of the strawberries off its stem before placing it in the basket.

"See? Now you try." He told her.

She nodded her head and attempted again to remove another strawberry, only this time she mimicked Jack's movement's and succeeded in harvesting it.

"There you go, you got it." He told her.

* * *

The two continued to spend the rest of the day harvesting the remainder of the strawberries on the various bushes that were scattered about the field, laughing with one another whenever one of them damaged one of the berries. As the sun began to lower below the forest trees Jack stood up and picked up the basket, now filled with strawberries, and motioned for Keira to follow him.

"Jack, look." She said to him after he started walking away causing him to turn around.

He looked at her as she held her hands in front of her dress motioning for him to look at it. He did and instantly noticed how it was now covered with a mixture of both dirt and strawberry juice.

"Oh Keira I'm sorry." He apologized.

She smiled at him and began to laugh a bit. "It's ok Jack. It's been awhile since I've done any work and I forgot how much fun it was." She said before turning aside again. "Especially when someone else is with you."

The two of them walked into the house and Jack placed the basket down over on the table.

"I guess I'll sell these in town when I take you back tomorrow." He told her.

"I forgot that I have to get back to the castle." She said. "They're all probably worried about me there, especially my parents."

"We'll go there first thing in the morning." He said before looking over at the bed. "You can use the bed tonight."

"But what about you?" She asked.

"I'll find somewhere to bunk for the night. Beside you deserve the bed, you are royalty after all." He told her.

She got into his bed and looked at him as he began to step outside.

"If you need anything just come and find me. I won't be too far." He told her.

After he shut the door Keira leaned her head on the pillow and looked up at the ceiling. After everything that had happened to her that day she was beginning to feel herself start distrusting her father's words.

"_Maybe peasants aren't that bad."_ She thought before shutting her eyes.

* * *

**A/N: Peasants people, peasants. R&R**


	4. Peasant

Keira awoke the next morning with a slight pain in her back. She sat up from her spot in Jack's bed and began to rub her back where it pained her. She was thankful that he was able to provide her with a place to sleep for the night but his bed was nothing compared to her nice comfy one back at her castle. She looked out the window and stared out at the field for a moment and watched as the sunlight from above brightened up the whole forest, giving it a nice orange tint.

Still feeling a little weary, Keira got out of bed and walked over to the door and stepped outside. Seeing as Jack wasn't out in the field anywhere she walked over to the barn across from the house and pushed open the large wooden door. Inside she found two sleeping cows that were sitting across from a large feeding trough and walked up to them. When she got close enough to one of them she placed her hand on it and began to gently pet it, being sure not to wake it up. Aside from her trips to the forest she had always felt confined to her castle and the town outside it that she had never seen an animal this close before. Suddenly, she began to hear the barking of dog coming from behind her and turned around to see a small brown and white beagle behind her. She walked up to it and knelt in front of it as it began to let out a low growl.

"Hello there." She said to it quietly.

She placed her hand out in front of it and it sniffed it for a moment before licking it and then staring back at her.

"Do you know where Jack is?" She asked it.

The dog let out a friendly bark before running out the barn door and over to stable before sitting down in its doorway as its tail wagged at a fast pace. Keira walked over to the dog and stood beside it as she watched Jack for a moment as he stood beside the lone horse inside, grooming it's mane, before looking over at her.

"Good morning Keira." He said as he walked over her. "Did you sleep well?"

"Your bed was a little harder than what I'm used to but I managed to get to sleep." She told him.

"Sorry, if I had known that I was going to be hosting for someone such as yourself I would have tried to make my house a little more presentable." He said.

"That's alright Jack, you really don't have to go out of your way to impress me. You saved my life and that was enough to impress me." She told him.

The two become silent until Jack's dog began to bark again.

"I see you found my dog." He said.

"Yeah, it kind of brought me over here." She told him as she looked down at it.

The dog barked happily at her.

"He's a friendly little guy." Jack began as he bent over and petted his head. "His name's Buddy since he's my only friend out here."

Keira couldn't help but smile as she watched Jack play with his dog for a moment. They just looked so carefree and happy together that it just warmed her heart.

"So are you ready for me escort you back to your castle?" Jack asked as he focused his attention back on Keira.

"Yes I'm ready." She answered.

"Great." He said as he extended his hand out to her.

She grabbed onto his hand and he brought her over to the horse nearby.

"Climb on." He told her.

She struggled a bit for a moment to get on top of the horse but Jack began to help her. When she finally got seated on its back she looked down at him with a puzzled look on her face.

"Town's pretty far from here and I don't want you to get tired on the way there." He told her.

"That's sweet of you." She said.

"Well let's get moving." He said as he picked up the basket of strawberries from the previous day that sat near the door way.

Jack began to walk out of the stable and the horse soon began to follow right behind him. As they neared the wall of trees that lead into the forest he looked back at Buddy who was at standing beside his feet.

"Stay here and watch the house will you Buddy." He told him.

Buddy barked a few times in response before scurrying over towards the farm house and sitting down in front of it.

Jack then resumed walking into the forest and the horse once again began to follow him.

* * *

Jack and Keira remained silent during their long trek through the forest but once they finally arrived in town things began to get a bit awkward. Various townspeople put on strange and confused looks on as they watched the princess of their kingdom ride on the horse of a peasant. Keira looked at all of them with a slightly embarrassed expression on and occasionally waved at a few of the people they passed.

When they finally reached the bridge the led to the main grounds of the castle Jack placed the basket down and helped Keira off the horse. He directed the horse over to a small patch of grass that sat nearby and then picked up the basket again before him and Keira walked towards the castle. As they approached the gate that led inside the two guards that stood in front of it both bowed before Keira.

"Princess Keira, you've returned. Much of the castle has been worried about you since your departure." One of them said to her. "Are you well?"

"I'm fine, thank you very much." She told them before stepping in and motioning for Jack to follow.

Jack stepped forward and attempted to enter but the two guards stepped in front of him and crossed their spears, stopping him in his tracks.

"What business do you have entering these grounds peasant?" One of them asked rather rudely.

Keira walked up and pushed their spears down. "Let him through, this man saved my life."

The guards looked hesitantly at her. "But Princess Keira, are you sure you want this, this _peasant _inside the castle grounds?"

"Let him through, that's an order." She told them.

The two looked at her before looking at each other and then at Jack.

The two stepped away from the gate. "It appears you may enter."

Jack stepped forward and nodded his head at the both of them before walked up to Keira and then proceeding to follow her as she led him through the castle.

"Sorry about that Jack." She said.

"It's alright Keira." He said causing a few of the servants in the room to look at him with shocked expressions on at the fact that he didn't address her by her title. "I kind of expect to be treated like that."

Keira continued to lead Jack through the various hallways of the castle until they finally reached the throne room where her parents were residing. When they entered the room they began to walk towards them and when they neared them her mother stood up from her throne and walked up to Keira and embraced her while her father stared at Jack.

"Keira where have you been?" Her mother asked.

"Yes." Her father began as he stood up from his throne and walked over to them. "Where _have_ you been? And who is this peasant you have brought here with you?"

"It's a bit of a long story. When I left the castle after I stormed out of our dinner session I went into the forest and was captured by a small group of thieves. They were going to kill me but I was lucky enough to be saved by kind farmer here named Jack." Keira explained.

"You saved my daughter and your princess?" Her mother asked curiously while her father looked a little skeptical.

"Yes, _you_ saved my daughter?" He asked.

"Yes, you see I was just trying to…" Jack began before being cut off.

"I just asked if you saved my daughter, not how you saved her." Her father told him.

"Phillip!" Her mother snapped.

"I suppose you're expecting some sort of reward for your actions." Her father said to Jack sounding rather unamused.

"No, that won't be necessary your highness." Jack told him.

"Come now, isn't there anything you want?" Her father asked. "A home? Gold? A feast in your honor? Name it and it shall be yours."

"Really it's quite alright." Jack told him.

"Don't be ashamed to ask. I won't mind parting with a few of my possessions. You did save my daughter after all." Her father said still a little skeptical.

"Father stop it. Jack doesn't want anything for what he did for me." Keira said.

"Then I must thank you for rescuing my daughter." Her father said before motion for one of the guards in the doorway to approach him.

"What is my liege?" The guard asked.

"See that this pea… I mean gentleman is escorted off the castle grounds properly." Her father told him.

"Yes my liege." The guard replied.

The guard began to escort Jack out of the room but they were soon stopped by Keira.

"Jack wait." Keira said as she ran up to him.

"What is it Princess Keira?" He asked trying to make a good impression on her parents.

Keira placed her hand on his face and gave him a small kiss on the cheek causing Jack to blush nervously and her father to become shocked at her action.

"Maybe we'll see each other again someday." She told him.

He placed his hand on his cheek. "Maybe we will."

Keira walked back over to her parents as Jack and the guard left the room. Once they were gone and the door shut her father looked at her angrily.

"What was that?" He asked.

"What was what father?" Keira asked.

"Kissing that peasant and filling his head with false hopes." He told her.

"I was just being grateful." Keira told him.

Her mother looked down at her feet and noticed she wasn't wearing any shoes. "Keira dear what happened to your shoes?"

"Probably stolen by that peasant so he could sell them for food." Her father said.

"No, I lost them while I was being chased by those thieves." Keira told them.

"And what are all these stain and dirt marks on your dress?" He asked.

"This is just some juice and dirt from when we were harvesting berries yesterday." She told him.

"A peasant had you working?" Her father exclaimed. "I should have him imprisoned!"

"Father!" Keira exclaimed.

"And what's with this cut on your cheek? Did that damn peasant go and abuse you?" He asked. "He should be executed!"

"No! He wouldn't even think about hurting me!" Keira shouted.

"Your father isn't going to have your little friend executed Keira." Her mother said in order to calm her down. "But why were you working for him?"

"I wanted to. After he saved me from those thieves he brought me to his farm so I could relax and I decided to help him in order to pay him back for what he did for me." Keira told them.

"You shouldn't be helping someone like him Keira. Your royalty for a reason and he's a peasant for a reason." Her father said.

"Why don't you go and clean yourself up dear. I'm sure you'll feel relaxed after you're nice and clean again." Her mother told her.

Keira nodded her head and began to walk towards the door.

"Yes, you'll need to be presentable for your next suitor as well." Her father said causing her to stop.

"Another suitor?" Keira asked sounding upset.

"There's no negotiating this Keira. I've arranged for you two to meet tomorrow and I won't have my daughter looking like a damn peasant." Her father said in response to her appearance. "Now go."

Keira clenched her hand into a fist in anger as she walked out of the room. She had just returned home and already she wanted to leave. She wondered what this next suitor of hers would do that would make her hate him, but more importantly, she wondered when she would see Jack again.

* * *

**A/N: R&R.**


	5. Reflections

Keira sat in front of the mirror in her room as she adjusted her headband. Once it was in place she began examine her reflection in the mirror. She listened to her mother and had fixed up her appearance after leaving the throne room and was now wearing a dress much like the one she had one before minus the tear and stain marks. She placed her hand on the cut mark that was still visible and began to think about Jack. He had been so courageous to go out and rescue her without any real knowledge of who he was saving or what he was up against. Then the kindness he had shown, though brief, was enough to make her feel a little more than grateful for him.

Feeling a little curious she stood up from her chair in front of the mirror and walked over to her window overlooking the town and pushed aside its golden curtains and looked outside. She scanned around the towns various cottages and residents as they walked about and talked amongst each other until she found who she was looking for in the market area near the center of town. It was Jack sure enough. She watched as he bartered with one of the traders who had set up a stand in the area as he tried to sell the basket of strawberries they had harvested. Once they seemed to reach a deal Jack handed the trader and the basket and was handed a small brown bag, likely filled with gold, and began to make his way out of town and into the forest with his horse following behind him.

Keira removed her hand from the curtains causing them to once again block the window as she made her way to the other side of the room. She opened the large set of glass doors beside her bed that lead to her balcony over the garden and stepped onto it. She leaned up against the railing and rested her head on her hand and looked down at the garden below as she began to think about her past.

As a child her parents had always focused on bring her up to be proper and respectable. They had their maids and servants spend night and day giving her various lessons on how to be a lady and just about confined her to castle, limiting her contact with the outside world. At times though her main caretaker would see how tiresome the process was for her and let her go out and play in the garden with her daughter for the as long as she could. Usually she wouldn't get caught but there were someday where her mother would find her skipping her lessons and get angry with her and force her back inside. Those times though where she could go out in the garden were one of the few, and as she believed, the only times she could actually feel less like a princess and more like an average person. But that brief day she had just spent with Jack brought her back to those days where she could be carefree and truly happy that she just didn't want to part with them so soon.

Suddenly the sound of the door opening filled Keira's ears bringing her back to reality. She turned around and walked into the room to see her maid Celia enter the room. Celia was the girl who she used to play in the garden with but ever since her mother fell ill and passed away she had taken her role of being Keira's main servant and friend.

"Princess Keira I'm so relieved to see you." Celia said as she walked up to her. "I was starting to get worried after you didn't return back here to the castle yesterday."

Keira smiled at her. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

"You seem rather happy about something." Celia said.

"Oh, it's just that I met someone the other day while I was out." Keira said happily.

"Really?" Celia asked curiously.

"His name is Jack." Keira told her.

"Jack?" Celia asked. "That doesn't sound like the name of someone who would be your suitor."

"That's because he isn't. He's a farmer who saved me after I was captured by some thieves out in the forest." Keira said causing her to let out a gasp.

"A farmer?" Celia exclaimed. "You like a farmer?"

"Kind of, what's wrong with that?" Keira asked.

"He's a peasant Keira!" Celia told her. "You shouldn't be attracted to them! They don't even have as high status as me."

Keira crossed her arms and looked away angrily. "You sound just like my father. Just because he isn't royalty it doesn't mean he's any more different from me."

"What do you even like about him anyway?" Celia asked.

Keira sighed and took a seat on the edge of her bright yellow bed. "Remember when we were little and your mother used to let me go and play with you in the garden?"

"Of course I do. It always made you so happy." Celia said as she took a seat beside her.

"Well… it's just that after he saved me Jack took me to his farm so I could relax for a day and being there without any worries reminded me of how carefree I was during that time out in the garden." Keira told her.

"So he makes you feel carefree?" Celia asked.

Keira sighed again. "You just don't understand. Every day I feel like I have to act like someone I'm not but when I was with him yesterday it just didn't feel like that. I even got to work in his field with him."

"He had you working?" Celia exclaimed before leaning in closer and started whispering. "Does your father know? He could have him executed."

"He knows but he's not going to do anything." Keira told her. "Or at least I hope he doesn't."

"What does it matter?" Celia asked. "It's not like you're going to see him again."

Keira became angered by that comment. "You don't know that. We could meet again. What did you even come here for anyway?"

"Oh I almost forgot." Celia said as she stood up from her spot on the bed. "Your mother wanted me to inform you that dinner would be ready soon."

"Tell her I'll be down in the dining hall soon." Keira told her.

Celia gave her a little bow. "Yes Keira."

Celia began to walk towards the door to leave the room before stopping and turning back towards Keira.

"Oh she also wanted me to remind you about your suitor tomorrow." Celia said causing Keira to roll her eyes in disgust.

"How could I forget about that?" Keira asked rhetorically.

"She wanted me to tell you that his name is Edwin and that he comes from one of the nearby kingdoms." Celia told her.

"Like it matters." Keira muttered.

Celia bowed once again before leaving the room and as soon as the door shut Keira glanced over at the balcony. She began to once again think about how she desired to feel carefree and how Jack was the key to that desire becoming a reality. But first, she'd have to deal with her next suitor.

* * *

**A/N: I don't know why I chose Edwin as her suitor and eventually antagonist of the whole story, I just thought it sounded like a fancy name. Please R&R and feel free to check out my other ongoing stories if you wish.**


	6. Edwin

The following afternoon Keira was sitting on one of the large stone benches that were placed outside in the castle's main garden as she awaited Edwin's arrival. Earlier that morning her mother had helped her change her appearance a bit and now instead of her usual yellow colored dress she was wearing a green dress with a white bottom that had gold colored trimming at the end of the sleeves and she had a gold and red headband in her hair. Before instructing her to go out and wait in the garden her father had told her that he had a good feeling that she would be interested Edwin and had invited him to stay in one of the castles spare rooms for a season or two but she didn't care. She already knew that she wouldn't find herself interested in him and had her mind on other things.

She looked over at the sunflowers growing beside her feet and plucked one of them and began to examine it. After a moment she looked up at the small fountain that sat down the path in front of her and began to think once more about her past. She remembered how she and Celia used to run around and sometimes even play in the fountain. That would always enrage her mother and she would yell at for hours about she was ruining her dress but she would always notice how Celia's mother never seemed to care if she got a little messy. Then again she was from a different social class and had different views about life than her but it was things like that she just couldn't seem to understand. Celia and her mother had almost always felt like family to her so why should they be any different than her? That's when her thoughts began to shift back to Jack.

Why should it be considered so wrong for her to possibly have feelings for a farmer like him?

He was courteous and kind and cared about her well being just like how all the suitors she had met with claimed to feel_._ The only difference between them was their social status but why was that such an issue?

She looked at the sunflower in her hand once again before glancing over at the archway leading in to the garden and noticed as Celia began to walkthrough it with a young man she hadn't seen before by her side. He was wearing a small, flat yellow and brown hat that covered up part of his long blonde hair and he had green eyes and was wearing a long yellow tunic with white leggings underneath and had a hoodless gray cloak on that was held together by a gold pin.

"Princess Keira." Celia greeted as she bowed before her. "Your suitor Sir Edwin has arrived."

"Thank you Celia." Keira said as she stood up from her seat.

Celia took a step back and bowed before Edwin before silently leaving the area.

Keira looked at Edwin and he proceeded to bow before her as well.

"It's an honor to meet you Princess Keira." He said as he looked back up at her.

"_Here we go again…" _She thought. "Good day Edwin, I trust your journey here went well."

"Yes it went quite well. I've never seen a kingdom as lovely as yours." He told her before noticing the sunflower still in her hands. "That's a beautiful flower you have there."

She looked down at it realizing she was still holding it.

"It's almost as beautiful as the young woman holding it." He continued.

Keira could feel that anger she felt from a few nights ago already begin to return to her but she still tried her hardest to smile.

"Thank you." She said.

Edwin seemed to notice her uneasiness and sighed. "I'm sorry."

She looked at him confused. "What?"

"I'm sorry if I'm trying to seem a little too proper but it's what I was told to do." He told her.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I was told my lord to make as good of an impression I could on you so that maybe if we _were_ to be wed there could be a chance at peace between our two kingdoms." He explained. "I just don't want you to think I'm acting like this because I want to."

Keira's smile returned back to her face only this time it didn't feel as forced as before. "That's alright."

"I can tell that most suitors you meet with probably come on too strong and I assume it's dreadfully annoying for you." He said.

"Of course it is." She told him as she sat back down on the bench. "Every time I meet with one all they do is constantly comment me and never talk about anything else. But you, you seem a little different."

"Well I'd hope so." He said. "I wouldn't like to make my slightly prolonged stay with you and your family any awkward."

"Oh yes that's right. I forget you were staying with us. How long will you be here?" She asked.

"Only a few seasons." He replied. "Your father insisted upon it."

Keira smiled at him again before looking back at the sunflower in her hand.

"Forgive me for intruding in your personal affairs but your father mentioned that you had some sort of trouble with a peasant a few days ago." He said causing her grip the sunflower tightly in her hand at the word 'peasant.'

"I had no trouble with a farmer." She said angrily as she stood up. "In fact he saved me from trouble."

"I wasn't saying you had any trouble with this peasant. I was merely stating what your father told me." He told her.

"Don't call him that!" She shouted angrily to both her and Edwin's surprise. She wasn't expecting to get this angry this fast.

"Calling who what?" He asked.

"Stop calling the man who saved my life a peasant. He has a name, it's Jack." She told him.

Edwin stepped back and placed his hand over his chest in a formal sort of way. "I can tell you're a little upset at the moment. I'll let you be for now and when you feel more relaxed I hope we can continue our little conversation. Perhaps over dinner?"

Keira didn't answer but rather continue to stare angrily at Edwin until he nodded his head and walked away. As he passed through the archway leading back inside Celia emerged from the other side and walked over to her.

"Keira what was that about?" She asked sounding concerned.

"He was calling Jack a peasant and I got upset that's all." Keira told her.

"Jack?" Celia asked sounding surprised. "Keira please you must get him off your mind."

"Why should I?" Keira asked.

"Keira, he is what everyone says he is, a peasant. You're not going to see him again so there's no point in getting upset over him." Celia told her.

Keira looked angrily at Celia and tightened her grip on the flower's stem causing it to snap in half "How dare you. I know it seems like I might not see him again but I know I will."

"And how will you do that?" Celia asked.

Keira looked at her confused for a moment before coming angry again. "I'll… I'll find a way."

She began to storm off leaving Celia standing alone in the garden.

"You'll see!" Keira shouted as she reentered the castle.

* * *

Later that night when most residents of the castle were asleep Keira slowly emerged from her room and began to silently walk through the moonlight halls of the castle. She had skipped dinner that evening, claiming she was still upset, in order to sneak into one of the castle guard's rooms and steal a cloak which she was now wearing with the hood up. When she neared the castle gate she hid behind the wall and looked over the corner to see if there were any guards out on patrol in the area and when there weren't she quickly ran out towards the bridge. As she ran across it she stopped for a moment and looked back at the castle before continuing her run towards town.

* * *

**A/N: Please R&R.**


	7. Seeds

After sneaking out of her castle Keira ran into the forest outside of town to find Jack only to soon realize she had no idea where he lived. She tried her hardest to think back to the morning when she followed him as he led her to his house but she just couldn't think of any noticeable landmarks along the way. Too stubborn to simply give up and return back to her castle defeated she began to wander around aimlessly through the forest hoping that she'd end up at his farm.

The birds of the forest began to sing their songs welcoming the morning sun as it began to rise over the kingdom while Keira continued to walk through the trees, lost. She rested up against one of the trees nearby and held her stomach as it let out a low growl from hunger. She remembered how she had once again skipped dinner the previous night but still felt her choice was worth it. Suddenly she heard the familiar barking of a certain doing coming from nearby and looked over near her feet and saw Buddy.

"Buddy it's me Keira." She said as she crouched down and removed her hood. "Remember?"

He examined her for a moment as he growled before leaning in closer and sniffing her. Once he seemed to realize it was her he backed up and gave a friendly bark before sitting down.

Carefully, Keira placed her hand on his head and began to slowly pet him for a moment.

"I hate to bother you again but do you know where Jack is?" She asked.

Buddy gave another friendly bark before getting up and walking into the trees behind him. Keira stood up and followed him and it wasn't before long that the two of them found themselves back on Jack's farm. She looked out in the field and saw him working out in the middle of it and soon found herself running towards him before stopping a few feet behind him.

"Hello Jack." She greeted.

Jack seemed startled by her voice and when he turned around he seemed to become even more surprised.

"P-P-Princess Keira." He said as he began to hastily dust the dirt off of his tattered green clothing while at the same time attempting to bow before her. "What are you doing here?"

She giggled at his actions and smiled. "What? Aren't you happy to see me?"

"I-I, I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon…" He said still sounding surprised.

"I know my visit seems so sudden but I just couldn't help but visit." She told him.

Jack laughed a little uneasily. "Well that was nice of you to stop by."

She smiled at him again as she sat down on a tree stump nearby and began to fiddle around with the cape part of her cloak, trying to get some of her long hair straightened out. "So what are you doing today?"

"Well I was just planning on working out here in the field." He told her as she watched her continue to mess around with the cloak. "Is there any reason why you need that cloak on?"

"Oh this?" She asked as she held part of it up. "I… well, I sort of had to sneak of my castle last night to come and see you."

Jack's eyes widened. "You had to sneak out to see me?"

"Please Jack," Keira began as she stood up. "I know I can get in a lot of trouble and possibly get you in even more but I just really needed to come out here again."

"But why?" He asked. "If one of your guards sees you out here they'll think I'm trying to kidnap you and have me imprisoned or worse!"

"Please calm down; I know I could be putting us in harm's way but I really need to be out here right now." She told him and she walked up to him and placed her hands on his chest and looked at him with begging eyes. "Please just let me stay here for a while."

He looked into her eyes and when he saw that she almost desperately wanted to be with him he took a deep breath. "Alright, you can stay."

She smiled and backed away from him.

"But why do you feel the need to be out here?" He asked.

She looked down at the ground.

"It… it's kind of personal…" She said before looking back at him. "I... I'll tell you later."

"Alright." He said before throwing his hoe over his shoulder.

She looked at him a little curiously. "Are you getting back to work?"

"I have some seeds to plant today." He said before turning around.

"Do you think I can help again?" She asked as she took a step closer to him.

He looked back at her. "You really want to help again?"

"Of course I do." She told him happily. "You did save my life."

"I thought I told you that you don't owe me anything." He said.

"I know but I just really want to help you out." She told him.

"Alright, come follow me then." He said as he motioned for her to follow him with his shoulder.

She nodded her head and ran to catch up with him as he walked towards his house. He once again opened the door for her and let her inside the house first and when he entered he set his hoe against the wall next to the door and walked over to the shelf and removed a few bags of seeds that sat on it.

"Here." He said as he handed her two of the bags.

She took them from him and followed him back outside to the open part of the field.

"So what do we have to do?" Keira asked.

He opened one of his bags and removed a handful of seeds.

"You just have to take a handful and spread out the seeds." He told her.

He demonstrated it for her as he took then seeds in his hand and began to carefully spread them around the area around his feet. He then watched as Keira walked over to the open soil nearby and began to spread the seeds around the ground just like he had.

"There you go." He said in approval.

* * *

The two of them then began to walk beside each other and continued to spread the seeds around at their feet. As they did so Keira constantly found herself glancing over at Jack, thinking about her more recent thoughts about him. He was such a hard worker and didn't seem to care if she ended up doing some manual labor like her parents did. While they worked she didn't feel any different from him like she had been raised to believe and once again began to try and figure out why any possible relationship between the two of them could be forbidden.

She continued to think about him while mindlessly spreading out the seeds in the last bag until she stuck her hand into it once more only to find it was now empty.

"Something wrong?" Jack asked as she looked at him with slightly surprised expression on as the empty seed bag brought her back to reality.

"No nothing's wrong." She told him as she shook her head. "Just out of seeds that's all."

"I think I am too." He said as he flipped the bag in his hands upside and shook it, emptying out a small amount of seeds."

Keira wiped the small amount of sweat on her forehead as her stomach once again growled.

"Are you hungry?" Jack asked. "I got some more food if you…"

"Oh no I'm fine." She interrupted as she shook her head again. "Really I don't want to use up any of your food."

"If you say so." He said.

Keira looked up in the sky and suddenly became a little scared when she noticed the sun was now almost directly above them.

"It's almost noon!" She exclaimed. "I have to return back to my castle before anyone starts to get suspicious."

She turned around and began to quickly walk towards the tree line before stopping and returning back over to Jack.

"Please Jack do you know the way to town from here?" She asked.

"You just have to walk straight that way and you'll eventually come across town." He said as he pointed to a small opening between two trees beside the barn that they had gone through the other day. "Would you like me to accompany you?"

"No, that won't be necessary." She told him. "I don't want anyone to get any wrong ideas about you."

He nodded his head. "That's understandable."

She leaned into him and once again gave him a small kiss on the cheek, though this time it seemed a little longer than the one she gave him in the throne room.

"Thanks for letting me spend some time with you today Jack." She told him. "I owe you a great dept."

He smiled at her. "You don't owe me anything; it's my duty to serve you."

"I told you that you didn't have to treat me so special." She said. "I'd appreciate it if you just treated me like a normal person."

"Why is that?" He asked.

"Oh it's nothing really." She said as she turned around and looked at her feet. "I just don't want to feel all that special all the time." She told him before turning and facing him again. "I must thank you again; you've been so kind to me since we met."

She turned back around and began to walk towards the opening he had directed her to moments ago before turning back on last time.

"I hope to see you again soon." She shouted over at him before continuing into the forest.

* * *

Keira followed Jack's simple directions of walking in one direction through the trees the whole time and eventually found herself outside the town's walls. She followed the wall and soon found herself standing in front of the main archway leading into the town. She looked back at the opening she came through and made a mental note of the small oak stump that sat in front of it and took a step towards the archway before stopping. She looked down and realized she was still wearing the cloak she had stolen the previous night and immediately took it off and placed it in the bushes beside the town gate. Dusting herself off she then proceeded to walk into the town.

As she headed towards the castle she gave casual waves and smiles to the various townspeople she passed. When she arrived at the castles bridge she took a deep breath before walking up to the two guards that stood guard at the gate.

"Good morning Princess Keira." One of them greeted. "Where have you been this morning? I don't recall seeing you ever leave the castle grounds today."

"I left a little early for a walk." She lied. "I'm sorry if I caused anyone to worry about me again."

"No one's been greatly concerned yet." The other guard said. "Your mother would like to speak with you though."

She nodded her head. "Where is she?"

"She should still be in her chamber." The guard replied.

Keira entered the castle and began to walk through the many halls and rooms of it until she reached her mother's private chamber. She opened the door to find her mother sitting in front of her mirror fixing her hair long blonde hair.

"Mother?" Keira asked as she stepped into the room. "One of the guards said you wanted to see me."

Her mother continued to look at herself in the mirror for a moment before turning around and opening her arms. "Keira darling, there you are."

Keira walked up to her mother and gave her a hug.

"Where have you been this morning?" Her mother asked as she let go of her. "I was about to start getting worried again."

"I was out on a walk." Keira told her.

"You seem to enjoy getting close to some of your subjects don't you?" Her mother asked.

Keira turned away to hid the fact that she was blushing a bit at the comment. "I guess I do."

"Now come, tell me about your new suitor." Her mother said.

"You mean Edwin?" Keira asked.

"Of course I mean Edwin dear." Her mother said. "Who else could I be talking about?"

Keira became a little nervous. "Yeah, your right."

"So tell me about him." Her mother said.

"Oh well he seems quite nice." Keira told her. "He doesn't seem as dedicated to courting me as the other suitors have been which is pretty relieving."

"Is that why you made him so upset yesterday?" Her mother asked.

"What?" Keira asked surprised.

"Last night you made him a little upset when you didn't show up for dinner." Her mother told her. "He told us about you got a little angry at him."

"Oh it was nothing." Keira told her.

"Care to tell me what made you so mad?" Her mother asked.

"It was nothing, he… he was just getting a little too intrusive in my own affairs that's all." Keira lied.

Her mother looked at her closely as if she knew she was lying and was trying to get her to come clean but when she refused to budge her mother sighed.

"Alright, if you say that's what happened then I believe you." Her mother told her. "But I think you owe him a little apology."

Keira nodded her head. "Yes mother."

As she turned around to leave Keira's stomach once again growled from hunger.

"That's right you haven't had breakfast this morning." Her mother said causing her to turn around. "Why don't you head down to the dining hall and get one of the servants to get you a small meal first?"

"Yes mother." Keira said again.

She bowed before her mother before leaving the room. As she walked through the halls towards the dining hall she began to for once think about Edwin. He did seem to be much nicer than the previous suitors she had but if she ended up in a relationship with him she'd be losing that chance at being carefree that she could get from Jack and wanted. The only problem was her parents would greatly oppose the idea of the two being together, not to mention Jack didn't seem all that interested in her. Sighing at her current dilemma, she walked into the dining hall.

* * *

**A/N: Dilemmas... They're always trouble.**


	8. Apologies

**A/N: I finally got around to finishing this chapter so I could update.**

**Enjoy.**

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* * *

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Once she finished her meal that the castle's servants had made her, Keira emerged from the dining hall and began to head towards Edwin's room. She knew she had been a little hard on him the previous day when they met but she didn't get why she had to apologize to him since he really had no business asking her about personal problems. It really didn't matter what she thought though since she had promised her mother that she would apologize and she really had no choice now.

Edwin was standing in the middle of his room talking with one of his servants that came with him on his trip when Keira opened the door.

"Princess Keira, good morning, please do come in." He said as she stepped inside the room.

"Good morning Edwin." She greeted.

Edwin's servant leaned close to him and whispered something to him. Edwin nodded his head and the servant stepped aside and exited the room.

"So what brings you to my personal chamber?" Edwin asked.

"I wanted to apologize… for my rude actions the other day." She told him. "I didn't mean to get upset so quickly."

"I should be the one apologizing to you about that, it was my fault really. I shouldn't have intruded into your own personal problems so soon. For that I'm greatly sorry." He said.

Keira became a little surprised by his response. "That's alright."

"I just hope this doesn't affect your opinion of me in anyway." He said.

"It won't, it wasn't that big of a problem really." She replied.

"So where have you been all this time since then?"He asked. "I didn't see you at dinner last night or breakfast this morning."

"I wasn't feeling well last night and didn't want to eat." She lied. "And this morning I left the castle grounds to go on a little walk. I've only just returned."

"Do you walk around the town often?" He asked curiously.

"Yes, it's nice to see that everyone here is so happy." She told him.

"It really is quite lovely." He remarked.

"So what is your kingdom like?" She asked.

"Oh now it really isn't mine. I'm just a simple advisor you see." He told her.

"So what do you do then?" She asked.

"I have no really power over anything but I do help my king with the business involved in running the kingdom and from what I can tell it seems to be doing quite well." He explained.

"He must be grateful for your service then." She remarked.

"I'd hope so." He said. "I can only imagine what running a whole kingdom must be like. Maybe if things go well here I'll find out."

Keira froze up at the sudden realization his comment brought to her head. She had completely forgotten that whomever she marries would then become next in line for the throne, no matter who they were. If she were to marry Jack she would be gaining nothing, she wouldn't be able to share his carefree and simply lifestyle but rather he would share her life of royalty.

"_Have I been chasing an impossible dream?"_

"Are you feeling alright Keira?" Edwin asked when she did say anything and simply stared into space.

She shook her head. "I'm fine. I… I just need to be alone right now."

He nodded his head. "If you need to be alone then so be it. I'll just catch up with you at dinner."

* * *

Silently, Keira left the room and shut the door behind her. She walked down the sunlit hallways of the castle towards her room while thinking about the uncertainty of her future. For the past few days she had believed that getting closer to Jack would allow her to return to those short carefree moments of her youth but now that she's remembered the terms of her marriage she can't help but believe that was a foolish desire.

"Princess Keira, where have you been?" She heard some ask from behind.

She turned around to see Celia in her usual red and white maid attire as she walked up over to her and bowed.

"Oh, hello Celia." Keira greeted letting some of the sadness from her thoughts escape through her voice.

"Keira where have you been?" Celia asked again. "I was starting to think something might have happened again."

"I was out in the town again." Keira lied, still sounding sad.

"Is something wrong?" Celia asked.

"No, nothing's wrong. I'm fine." Keira replied as she turned around to continue heading to her room.

"If you say so." Celia said as she followed her.

Keira walked up to the door to her room and opened it and stepped inside before Celia who then closed the door.

"So how was your walk through the town?" Celia asked.

"It was fine." Keira answered as she began to think of the brief time she had just spent with Jack. "Just fine."

"That's nice. Did you talk with your mother since your return?" Celia asked. "She was looking for you earlier but I couldn't fine you."

"Yes I know I already talked with her. She wanted me to apologize to Edwin." Keira told her.

"Oh, did you?" Celia asked.

"Yes, I did." Keira said as she walked over to her bed and took a seat on the edge.

"Well that's good; it's nice to see that you're trying to be nice to your suitor for once." Celia remarked.

Normally that would have angered Keira but right now her mind was just in a different place to care.

"Yeah, I guess it is sort of nice." Keira said quietly.

Just then another servant entered the room and bowed before Keira.

"Princess Keira, dinner is ready. Your parents request your presence in the dining hall now." The servant said.

Keira stood up from her seat on the bed. "Thank you, I'll be on my way shortly."

The servant left the room as Keira looked at Celia who bowed.

"I guess we'll continue our conversation later then." Celia said.

Keira nodded her head and left the room.

* * *

Keira, her parents, and Edwin sat at the large table in the middle of the dining hall as they ate their meal. Unlike the last time she was in the hall in the presence of another suitor Keira actually find herself eating dinner as she continued to think about her recent thoughts about Jack.

Her mother glanced over at her.

"So Keira, did you talk with Edwin like I asked?" She asked.

Keira looked up from her meal and nodded her head. "Yes mother."

"Yes she came and talked with me but like I told her it wasn't necessary." Edwin said. "It was my fault she got so mad really, I had no business asking something so personal so soon. Do know that a too apologized for my actions as well."

Keira's father let out a hearty laugh. "You're quite the gentlemen Edwin. Taking responsibility for your actions, I like that."

Keira couldn't help but roll her eyes at her father's comment.

"Thank you your majesty." Edwin said.

"So Edwin, what exactly do you do over at your kingdom?" Her father asked.

"I'm a high class advisor for my king. I help him with most of the diplomatic business involved in running the kingdom and it seems that he appreciates my work quite a lot." Edwin replied.

Her father looked over at her. "You see Keira; this is the kind of man you should marry. One who knows how to run a kingdom."

Keira forced a smile. "Yes father, I see what you mean."

"Oh well I don't know if I could run a _whole_ kingdom but I assure you if your daughter chooses me to be her husband I'll try my best." Edwin said.

While Edwin and her parents continued their conversation, Keira resumed her thoughts about Jack. Now not only was the fact that any possible relationship was 'forbidden' causing her some trouble but now that she remembered that her husband would gain her wealth and status her belief that being with him would make her average was almost complete destroyed. But she also couldn't help but think that she was getting ahead of herself. After all, she had only seen him twice and he was completely unaware of the reason she liked him. She'd have to change that.


	9. Shame

**A/N: Managed to finally come up with a solid idea for this chapter. Have no idea when the next update will be if there will be one, sorry.**

* * *

The following day aside from her trip down to the dining hall for breakfast in the morning Keira decided to isolate herself in her room as she silently leaned against the railing of her balcony as she rested her head in her hand and looked out at forest edge that sat on the other side of the large stone wall in the garden below. As she gazed out at the trees as they gently moved in the window her thoughts focused on Jack. She was still greatly upset at the remembrance of the benefits her marriage brought to her spouse and the chances she would and couldn't get it off her mind. It was secretly her greatest desire to leave her life of royalty behind and become a person of average status who didn't have to care about being proper and respectable around everyone all the time. But just like she started to believe yesterday it seemed that dream was in vain.

She sighed and walked away from the railing back into her room and looked out her window facing towards the town and watched once again as the townspeople went about their business. What she would do to join them. She stared at them all for another moment before recomposing herself and looking at her faint reflection in mirror confidently. She turned around and walked over to the door and stepped outside into the hall to be greeted by Celia.

"Keira are you alright today?" She asked.

"I'm fine." Keira answered in a slightly aggravated tone before walking down the hall.

Celia looked at her for a moment before running up to her and walking slightly behind her. "Are you sure? You haven't left your room all day until now."

"I'm fine." Keira repeated. "I just need sometime alone that's all."

Celia didn't seem to believe her. "Look if there's something wrong you can…"

"I said I'm fine!" Keira shouted angrily as she turned around to face her before speaking a little more calmly. "I'm going for a walk through the town again and would like to be alone."

Celia remained still and watched both fearfully and confused as Keira turned around and continued down the hall before walking down the stairs at the end. As Keira walked towards the castle's main gate leading outside the two guards stationed there both gave her a bow as she smiled and walked past them. As she walked along the stone bridge crossing over the river towards town she was soon stopped by a familiar voice.

"Princess Keira, where are you headed off to this afternoon?" She heard Edwin ask.

She turned around and watched as he approached her. "I was just going to take a walk through the town."

"Hm, do you think that perhaps maybe I could accompany you?" He asked.

Keira thought for a moment. She was really leaving her castle's grounds because she had decided that she would visit Jack again so she could have a serious talk with him for once and tell him about her current issue. She couldn't even consider taking Edwin with if she was to go and visit to someone who could possibly have gained control of her heart yet at the same time she could bring herself to immediately reject him for some reason. She had to consider the fact that there was a strong chance that nothing could amount between her and Jack and that Edwin was so far the only suitor that she could actually enjoy.

She nodded her head. "Alright, you can join me."

He smiled and walked up beside her and she began to lead him around the town. Since she hadn't planned on him joining her or rather she hadn't planned on actually walking around the town she simply wandered aimlessly around the busy roads and alleys of the area quietly beside Edwin. As they walked Keira's thoughts constantly shifted back and forth between either attempting to purse Jack or to just rather give up on him entirely.

"This is a really lovely place." Edwin remarked in a way that seemed to indicate his uneasiness with the silence between them.

"Huh?" Keira said as she snapped out of her thoughts. "Oh yes, it is quite lovely here isn't it."

"Your parents seem to take care of this place quite well, much like they have with you." He said in a charming voice.

Keira actually found herself actually blushing at that compliment and placed her hand on her cheek and looked away with a sense of embarrassment. "Hm, thank you…"

"It's no trouble at all my dear." He told her. "Anything thing I can do to please you makes me happy."

Keira looked back at him and smiled. "You really aren't like most suitors I get stuck with Edwin."

He smiled as well. "Well I should hope not, I wouldn't want to ruin any chances of ending up with you."

"That… that's really nice of you…" She said as her thoughts concerning love returned to her.

"All the people here seem quite friendly; I can't imagine any of them being unhappy." He remarked.

The two of them turned at the intersection in the road and entered a large open square filled with various stalls, stands, and merchants, signaling their arrival at the market area of town. They only walked a few steps into the area when suddenly they heard yelling coming from a nearby stall.

"What do you mean these are no good!" Someone shouted.

Keira and Edwin turned around in direction of the noise and her eye's immediately widened.

"Jack…?" She whispered in disbelief.

Jack was standing in front of one of the stands holding a turnip from a small basket on the counter in his hands as he stared angrily at stand owner.

"I told you that I can't buy these at you're price. They're not ripe, now I can buy these at a lower price though if you'd like." The merchant replied.

"Not ripe?" Jack asked as if he had just been insulted.

Keira had no real knowledge of crops and wasn't standing at a close enough distance to examine Jack's produce closely but from what she could see they appeared to be fine and the owner just appeared to be taking advantage of him.

"What do you mean they're not ripe?" Jack shouted. "They're fine! Look!"

Jack shoved the turnip near the merchant's face who quickly batted it out of hand.

"I'm sorry I can't buy these for full price in this condition." The merchant told him.

Jack brought his fist down on the wooden counter in anger. "There's nothing wrong with them now buy them!"

"Another typical angry peasant…" Edwin muttered as Jack and the merchant continued to argue.

Soon a town guard walked up to the scene.

"You're causing a disturbance here; I have to ask you to leave." He told Jack.

"What?" Jack asked in disbelief. "I'm getting cheated here and you're telling me to leave?"

The guard grabbed Jack's arm and pulled him close as he looked in his eyes. "Look _peasant_ we have no need for you here. Now you must either leave on your own or I'll be forced to escort you myself."

"I don't think so." Jack said as he pulled his arm back. "What gives you the right to tell me what to do? You have no authority over me, you have no…"

The guard turned his spear and pushed the wooden end forcefully into Jack's chest knocking him to the ground.

"That's enough. Leave at once. Now, you _peasant_." The guard ordered.

Jack got up and dusted off his tattered clothes before giving the guard a look. "I'll leave once I get what I came here for."

The guard bashed the end spear into Jack's chest and knocked him to ground.

"You are to leave at once!" The guard commanded.

As Jack leaned back on his arms and as he looked around at the silent crowd in the area Keira hid behind Edwin so he wouldn't see her. He slowly got back up to his feet and started to stumble away silently leaving a sense of shame as he left. As he passed the through the archway leading out of town and into the forest Keira emerged from her place behind Edwin and looked at him with an unsettling look.

* * *

That evening when Keira dined with her parents and Edwin again she found herself thinking of the scene she had witnessed earlier involving Jack instead of her feelings for him. To see him get pushed around like that pained her but what pained her even more was how she simply hid from him and did nothing to help.

"So how was you and Edwin's walk?" Her mother asked her.

Keira looked up at her. "It was fine mother."

"Indeed it was. I must say you two have built quite a bustling town." Edwin added.

Her mother smiled at him. "Why thank you Edwin."

"I heard there was some trouble out in the market earlier today. Did you two see anything?" Her father asked.

Keira looked up and slightly opened her mouth as if she was about to say something but soon closed it leaned back in her chair before looking down at the table in shame.

"It was just some angry peasant that's all." Edwin answered. "One of your guards seemed to take care of him though."

"Bah, peasants." Her father muttered. "They don't seem to understand their place in this world yet. What seemed to be the problem taking place?"

"Oh something about money." Edwin replied.

"Of course." Her father remarked. "It's always about money with them. Remember that one peasant you met a few days ago Keira?"

She didn't answer.

"Trying to act all noble by not accepting a reward." Her father continued as if she had replied. "Who was he trying to impress? The nerve."

Keira gently placed her fork down beside her plate and stood up.

"Keira where are you going?" Her mother asked as she watched her slowly walk towards the door.

"I'm not hungry anymore." She replied quietly.

Keira slowly walked out of the room and down the halls of the castle towards her room. She had an immense feeling of shame in her heart due to the fact that she had done nothing to help Jack even though there wasn't really anything she could do. But there was something else that was troubling her. Seeing Jack getting taken advantage of opened her eyes to the harsh troubles that would come with an average life. And yet, she still coveted that life.


	10. Special Spot

Keira tossed and turned under the yellow colored sheets of her bed as she tried to fall asleep later that night. Every so often she constantly found herself sitting up and turning around to fluff whichever one of her pillows she was using at the moment before dropping her head against it and tightly shutting her eyes to try and fall asleep but her body refused to rest and she knew why. She was still upset about the event earlier that day involving Jack. Accepting that she wouldn't be able to sleep until she sorted her thoughts about her new problem out she removed the sheets covering her and stepped onto the yellow and white checkered floor of her room. The bottom of her white nightgown gently hovered a few centimeters over the ground as she walked out the glass doors leading to the balcony. The cold wind of the night blew through her long strands of hair as she took her place against the stone railing once more and gazed out at the forests edge again. She shut her eyes and ran the scene from earlier in her head one more time before sighing and looking back out at the trees behind the garden's wall again.

"There was nothing you could do." She told herself.

She wanted to believe that was true but even though it seemed like there really was nothing she could have done to help him she knew that was a lie. She could have stepped forward and stood up for him by ordering the guard to stand down and that he be paid what he deserved but there were too many consequences that would have come from such an act. If she had stood up for him her reputation would have come under fire from the town's residents and rumors of a possible relationship between them could have started and if they reached her parents, or more importantly her father, it would have meant trouble for the both of them. She would have likely been harshly punished while Jack would've likely been imprisoned or executed out of anger. She let out another annoyed sigh.

Ever since they met her thoughts had almost entirely been focused on him and yet they've only actually seen each other twice. That feeling she felt in her heart concerning him, could it not just be love for the life he lived but rather true love for him himself? She shook her head in disbelief. She couldn't possibly be in love with him for more than his life could she? She walked back inside her room and over to her window and pushed aside the curtains as she looked out at the silent town below. Everyone was inside their homes asleep with their families while a few of the guards went about their nightly patrol around the town. She looked over at the small oak stump beside the passage through the trees that lead to Jack's before looking back over at the guards about the town. She sighed once more before walking away from window. She had been considering sneaking out again to go and see him but there seemed to be too many guards out on patrol and felt that she lacked enough sleep to effectively navigate through the town without getting caught by any of them.

She climbed back into her bed and gently rested her head against her pillow as she stared at the yellow canopy that was positioned above it. She closed eyes and took a deep breath before reopening them as she started to think about the day ahead. She decided that she would go and visit Jack tomorrow and that she would talk with him about her recent thoughts concerning him, the only problem though was she had no idea how she could introduce the subject to him. As her mind began to formulate and rehearse possible conversations she could have the following day she felt as her eyelids began to grow heavy and soon they gently slid down and shut finally allowing her to sleep.

Keira's eyes slowly fluttered opened and were greeted by the light of the sun as peered into her room through the glass doors beside her while it began to climb up into the cloudless sky. She slowly got out of her bed and walked over to her mirror sitting in the corner of the room. She looked back at her reflection in the mirror and entered another deep state of thought. Her hair was becoming a little messy and was not as straight as it used to be and the area beneath her eyes was becoming a light shade of purple, all from her recent lack of sleep and stress. Ever since that night she had met Jack she's found herself losing sleep from staying up to try and figure out her feelings for him while skipping quite a few meals in the process. It was all affecting her health in a negative way though so far it didn't seem major. Still she couldn't help but wonder if it was it worth deteriorating her health for love between them that might not even exist? For now all she could do was go and talk with him to see where it would lead and hopefully it would prove to be worth it.

She walked over to her dresser and quickly got changed into her usual yellow dress with the blue and red patterns around the edges before gently placing her headband in her hair. She slowly stepped out into the hall and made a quick check for either Edwin or Celia before continuing through the castle. Despite their status as her suitor and best friend respectively she felt that if either of them caught sight of her she would be forced to stop and talk with them which would unintentionally prevent her from seeing Jack. She continued to periodically look over her shoulder and around the area as she walked through the castle and eventually made her way down the large stairs leading to the main gate. As she walked by the guards gave their usual bow and watched as she walked across the stone bridge out towards town and once she was out of their view among the crowds of commoners she picked up her pace as she walked towards the forest.

* * *

She could feel her heartbeat increase as she weaved through the trees positioned along the trail but whether it was nervousness or her fast pace was unknown to her. When she finally reached the open soil field of Jack's farm and stepped out into the sunlight she stopped for a moment as she stared out at him. He was seated out in the center of the field on the old tree stump she had sat on her last visit and was rubbing his chest as he shifted around a bit with a pained expression on his face. Her heartbeat began to slow down as her nervous feelings subsided and were replaced with feelings of curiosity as she found herself slowly stepping onto to the dirt and soil of the field just careful enough to not make a sound. Just as quickly however her heart began to race again as she approached him causing her to stop a few feet behind him. She stared at him silently for a moment before shutting her eyes and taking a deep breath.

"_I can do this…"_

"Hello Jack." She greeted in a rather fast manner as her eyes reopened.

He became startled by her voice and turned around in his seat only to jump out of it when he saw her staring nervously back at him.

"Keira." He greeted back in a nervous tone. "What brings you back here so soon?"

She looked around at the soil beneath her feet trying to avoid eye contact as she spoke while she walked up to him, looking up at him only when she stood in front of him. "I, well I was thinking maybe we could talk."

"Talk?" He asked a little curiously.

"Y-Yeah, I… I just want to talk, that's all." She replied nervously.

He looked at her a little confused but seemed to welcome the idea as he nodded his head. "Sure, we can talk."

She slowly formed a smile, almost as if she wasn't expecting him to give that response, while she stared at him for a moment before letting her eyes wander around at the field surrounding them. This was no place for her to possibly open up to him about her thoughts concerning him. She grabbed his hand and he looked at her curiously.

"Do… do you think we could talk somewhere else?" She asked nervously.

"Sure." He replied as he nodded his head. "Where'd you have in mind?"

She had no real idea of where to take him but her mind quickly came up with the perfect spot for them to talk.

She gently tugged on his hand and began to lead him into the trees nearby. "Follow me."

Jack remained silent as she led him past all the trees and over all the roots that were scattered throughout the forest path they walked on. She eventually stopped once they reached another small opening in the area much like the one his farm sat on. A small sparkling clear pond sat in the center of the opening as the rays of light from the sun broke through the openings of the leaves of the trees surrounding it that hung overhead. She slowly let go of his hand while she drifted towards the edge of the water. She bent over to remove her shoes before sitting down and placing them at her side and slowly slipping her bare feet into the brisk water, rolling the bottom of her dress up to her knees to prevent it from getting wet. Shutting her eyes, she placed her hands on the ground beside her and leaned her head back for a moment as she took a deep breath before opening her right eye and looking back at Jack who was stilling standing in front of the tree line while he watched her.

"Come here Jack." She said as she opened her other eye and patted the soft path of grass at her side. "Sit by me."

He gave her an uneasy look but walked towards her anyway. "Alright…"

He sat down in the grass beside her and she gave him a smile.

"Come on Jack; put your feet in the water. It's so relaxing." She told him.

"If you say so." He replied.

He leaned forward and untied the thin brown string around one of his shoes that was holding it in place. As he untied the other one and placed them both at his side Keira couldn't help but notice how raggedy and torn they were, they looked almost like small dark green bags he had picked up from somewhere. He gently slipped both his feet into the water and leaned back as he slide more of the lower part of his body into the water though unlike he didn't seem to care that he was getting his cloths wet. They sat their silently for a moment while they relaxed beneath in the shade of the trees blocking out the summer sun. He could feel as she gently moved the water beside his feet as she rotated her foot around.

"You're right, this is peaceful." He remarked.

She tilted her head towards him and looked at the water in between their feet. "I know. I like to come out to this pond when I have a lot on my mind since it's so relaxing out here." She let out a small laugh. "I call this pond my special spot."

He gave her a friendly smile in approval. "Hm, this does seem like a great place to come and clear your mind."

"Yeah…" She said as she looked down at her legs as they continued to dangle around in the water.

"So what was it you wanted to talk about?" He asked as he looked over at her.

That question came to her as a surprise but she was quick to calm herself down. She had to get past this.

"Oh nothing really…" She replied trying to sound a little uninterested.

He raised his eyebrow and slowly turned his view back towards the pond. "Alright…"

She slowly looked back at the pond and kicked her feet around a little before stopping as she took a deep breath.

"_You can do this…" _She thought to herself. "Tell me about your life Jack."

He narrowed his eyes in confusion as he looked back at her. "Hm?"

"Your life Jack, what's it like?" She asked being more clearer.

She glanced over him and he stared at her for a moment confused but he could tell from the look in her eyes that his honest answer was something she truly wanted or rather needed.

"Well what do you want to know about?" He asked.

"It doesn't matter." She told him as she looked back out at the pond. "I just want to know what it's really like to be a… well, a farmer."

"Well there isn't much to it really…" He began. "I mean my whole life revolves around farming in order to make what I can to get by. Every day I wake up at sunrise and work until sundown and if I have something I can sell I'll go to town for the day and sell it."

She thought for a moment before tilting her head towards him. "Well how do you feel about it?"

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Well I mean how do you feel about not having to do everything a certain way for everyone?" She asked.

"I, I really don't know. I mean when I go about my work I really don't think about how others look at me since I don't really see anyone else out here that much." He replied.

She sighed and looked back at the water. She wasn't entirely sure if that was the answer she was looking for but it seemed like it. His implication that he didn't have to care about how others thought of him was close enough. Suddenly she heard as he began to grunt in pain and he placed his right arm over the center of his chest again as she turned to face him.

"Jack are you alright?" She asked as she sat up.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He answered trying to cover the pain escaping through his voice.

She leaned towards him and placed her hands on his other arm. "Please, what's wrong Jack? You can tell me."

"It's nothing, just a bad bruise that's all." He told her.

She removed her hands from his arm and looked at him silently for a moment. "Can… can I see it?"

He looked at her a little confused.

"I… I just want to make sure you're not badly hurt. That's all." She told him.

"Alright." He replied.

She hesitated for a moment before placing her hands on his chest and proceeding to roll up the bottom of his orange wool tunic. She carefully placed her hand down on his chest and examined it for moment; slightly blushing at how tough it felt. He wasn't all too muscular but all the farm work he'd done gave him such a well maintained body that she could have easily mistaken him for a high ranking knight in her father's army. She shook her head a little to shift her thoughts back to his injury and she looked at the center of his chest to find a large purple and circular bruise. Gently, she slid her hand over it causing him to tightly shut his eyes in pain.

She knew where it was from but she couldn't help but ask. "Where did you get this bruise from?"

He let out a sigh and shifted his eyes away from her. "I got it in a little argument yesterday in town."

She removed her hands from him and rested them in her lap as his tunic rolled back down. "An argument?"

"Yeah." He replied as he looked back at her. "Some damn merchant refused to pay me for these crops I harvested and got some guard to come over at knock me around."

She removed her legs from the pond and let them sit at the water's edge as she rested on her hip and looked at him.

"Damn guards and merchants, they're all the same." He continued as he shook his head and looked at grass between them. "They all think they can take advantage of people like me just because we're not as wealthy as them."

She began to lower her head in disappointment.

"You don't know how lucky you are Keira." He remarked as he made eye contact with her.

"What?" She asked.

"You're the princess; you don't have to put up with any of this." He explained. "Everybody has to listen to what you have to say and respect you. You don't have to deal with getting pushed around or taken advantage of by anyone higher than you because you're the highest ranking person in the kingdom. You don't have to worry about whether or not you'll be able to make enough gold and food to last you the week because you get whatever you need and more."

Her thoughts were thrown off by his words. Since she met him she had believed that he was the one living the better life and now he was complaining about it almost as if he was trying to convince her that her belief was wrong.

"It… it can be that bad Jack." She said as she placed her hand gently atop his.

He sighed. "You just don't know how hard I have it."

He hung his head down as he shook it causing the feeling of guilt she still had in her heart from the other day to increase. It didn't even seem like that big of a deal and yet that pain she was feeling from it was unbearable. She had to let him know.

"Jack…" She began shamefully.

He looked up at her.

"I… I could have helped you yesterday…" She finished.

He shifted a little closer to her. "What?"

"I… I was there at the market when you got in that argument with that merchant." She admitted. "I just silently watched in the crowd when you yelled at him and then when the guard kicked you out."

He stared at her silently.

"I'm sorry…" She apologized. "It's just that I was afraid of… well, I was afraid of what everyone would think… you know if they saw me, the princess, defending you, a farmer."

"That's alright Keira, I understand." He told her. "I know that it'd probably be hard for you to step forward to defend someone you just met like me. It's alright."

She formed a smile at the fact that he wasn't upset in any way with her. "Thank you."

"Still, I don't recall seeing you anywhere in the crowd when I looked around before I left yesterday." He told her.

Her smile disappeared as she looked away. "Well, that's because I was hiding from you… I didn't want you to see me there because I didn't know how you'd react."

"That's alright." He replied as he placed his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"Thanks again Jack." She said as she looked back at him.

"So what were you doing at market yesterday anyway?" He asked as he removed his hand from shoulder and began to lean back once more.

"Oh it no reason really." She replied. "I was just out on a walk with my new suitor."

"You have a new suitor?" He asked. "Already?"

"I guess my parents thought I simply didn't like that one suitor I was with on that night we met and they decided to get me a new one just as quickly." She explained.

"Well how is he?" He asked. "Your suitor."

"Oh he's alright." She answered. "He comes from a kingdom from somewhere nearby. His name is Edwin."

"So what's he like then?" He asked.

"He's nice." She replied as she looked back at the pond while her thoughts began to drift about in her head. "He's not like most suitors and doesn't seem all that intent on trying to completely court me. My father's even allowing him to stay with us for a few seasons. It's really nice to have a suitor like him that's different from all the other ones I've had but… I don't know…"

He shifted a little closer to her. "You don't know what?"

"Well, it's just that there's this other kind gentleman I know who actually might have stolen my heart…" She admitted. "I'm just not sure about my feelings concerning him yet."

She glanced at him as he stared at her in a way that seemed to indicate he had no idea that she was referring to him.

"It's just all so confusing." She continued. "I have no idea which one I should pursue."

He looked over at the pond. "I really can't tell you what to do since I have no really experience with love and all. But I guess if I had to tell you something it'd be that you should go for whoever makes you the happiest."

She smiled and looked back at the pond as well. Though it seemed he was oblivious to her feelings for him at the moment at least he was making an effort to help her.

He looked up at the patches of orange sky visible through the open areas among the leaves and branches above them before taking his legs out of the pond water.

"It's starting to get a late." He remarked as he stood up. "We should probably get going."

He extended his hand out for her and helped her up to her feet as she grabbed her shoes that sat at her side.

"Yeah you're right." She agreed as she began to slip her shoes on while he did the same.

"So would you like to walk back to my farm before returning home or something?" He asked as he looked back at her.

"I can make it back myself, thanks though." She replied.

"So I guess I'll see you again huh?" He asked.

She nodded her head. "Of course."

He smiled. "I look forward to your next visit then."

He started to turn around but she quickly placed her hand on his shoulder. He turned around and she proceeded to once again kiss him on his check which instantly began to turn a light shade of red.

"Thanks again Jack. I really owe you for letting me talk with you today." She told him as she let her hand remain on his shoulder.

"T-T-Thank you." He nervously stuttered as his hand slowly drifted up to the spot on his cheek she had just kissed.

She smiled and removed her hand. "I'll see you soon Jack."

She turned around and began to walk into the tree line leading back into her castle while Jack remained motionless with his hand on her cheek. She was grateful that he had allowed her to spend yet another day with him and that she was finally able to get some of her thoughts straightened concerning him straighted out, though a few new ones were beginning to bend them around. The way he described the troubles commoners like him face everyday would've been enough to turn away your standard citizen of high authority and yet she still couldn't feel herself rejecting her desires for to share his life. Then there was the issue of how he still didn't seem to realize he was the one who might've stolen her heart but again she didn't care since that idea hasn't proven true yet. She could at least take pride now in the fact that tonight she would be able to finally rest easy.


	11. Weird?

**A/N: A bit of a short chapter here, oh well. R&R.

* * *

**

By the time the sun had gone down below the horizon and the moon had taken its place, Keira had reentered her castle and returned to her room being just as carefully as when she had left it in the morning. She had been cautious going through the hallways so she could once again avoid possibly running into either Edwin or Celia. It wasn't that she was worried but them delaying her return but rather that she was afraid of possibility that one of them could reveal to her news that would disrupt her newly calmed frame of mind and she couldn't allow that at the moment. After finally being able to settle her recent thoughts with Jack's help earlier that day she looking forward to finally having a good night's rest and didn't want to ruin her evening with anything unexpected.

She entered her room and walked over to her dresser and removed one of her white nightgowns and placed it atop the dresser before crossing over to her mirror. She stared at her reflection in it and smiled when she noticed that her appearance was a bit less hectic than when she looked at herself when she woke up. Feeling a little happier, she walked back over to her dresser and changed out of her dress and placed on her nightgown before tucking her dress away in one of the drawers and walking over to her bed. Her new calm state of mind seemed to be relaxing her since as soon as she laid down on her bed she felt as it became less stiff than the previous night and became as soft as a cloud. She gently rested her head on one of her pillows and let out a pleasurable sigh at how relaxed she now felt. After shifting around for a moment she shut her eyes and began to drift asleep much faster than the previous nights.

Next morning Keira woke up to the sound of someone lightly tapping on her door. She sat up from her position in her bed and glanced over at the small amount of sunlight coming in through her window telling her that it was somewhere around noon and that she really did have a well deserved rest. As soon as she heard whoever was outside her door resume tapping on it. She quickly got out of bed and hurried over to it to find that it was Celia who had woke her up.

"Celia, what are you doing here?" She asked as she let her in her room.

"It's been so long since breakfast and no has seen you at all this morning so I was starting to get worried." She answered.

"Worried?" Keira asked. "Worried about what?"

"Well it's just that I didn't see you at all the past two days even though some of the other guards and servants did. It's like you're trying to avoid me now." She told her.

"Aw come on Celia, you're my friend. I wouldn't want to avoid you." Keira replied with a friendly smile to try and make her lie more convincing.

Celia let out a sigh. "You're right, I must be overreacting or something…"

"That's alright." Keira told her.

"So where have you been these past few days then?" Celia asked.

"Oh just out in the town as usual." She replied.

Celia sighed again. "I don't understand why you enjoy tiring yourself out by walk out there every day."

Keira looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Well it doesn't seem normal for a princess to enjoy being surrounded by commoners. It just seems weird." She explained.

Despite just possibly being insulted Keira remained calm mainly because Celia had been courteous to use the word commoner instead of peasant even though she wasn't directly referring to Jack. "How is it weird?"

"It's just that I'd think a princess would rather spend her time in her castle than out in a small dingy old town." Celia replied. "Isn't that what you were raised to enjoy?"

Keira entered another state of deep thought. She knew that her dream of becoming a commoner was an odd dream for a princess for her to have but was it really this evident? When she went on her semi-daily walks through the town amongst the townspeople did they think it was strange of her to do so as well?

"It's alright though, if you like to walk around that's fine." Celia told her as she waved her hand in the air dismissing the subject. "I just thought it was a little strange that's all."

Keira gave her a weak smile in order to hide the confusion her new thoughts were bringing her. "Hm, thanks."

"So what were you planning for today?" Celia asked.

"I'm not sure…" Keira replied as she looked out the window behind her for a moment. "I could've gone out today but it is a little late for that…"

"Well before you think about venturing out you should probably consider getting dressed first." Celia suggested.

Keira looked down at her nightgown, realizing she was still in it, while her stomach growled.

"And maybe getting some food." Celia added with a slight laugh. "You haven't eaten in a while and I'm sure you could use a nice meal."

"Yeah, you're right." Keira told her.

"Well I'll let you be." Celia told her as she began to walk towards the door. "I'll be around the castle if you need me."

Keira raised her hand and gave a small wave as Celia left her room. Once the door shut she walked over to her dresser and pulled out a copy of her yellow dress and quickly changed into it before fitting her headband in her hair. Now changed into her normal clothes she exited her room and began to walk down the halls of her castle towards her mother's room. She hadn't talked with her in awhile and knew that if there was one family member she could talk with about her current issues it'd be her. After all, she couldn't even consider talking with her father about how she enjoys walking through the town since he has a strong disliking for "_peasants_."

When Keira reached her mother's room she lightly tapped on the door and awaited a response.

"Who is it?" She heard her mother ask from inside.

"It's me mother." Keira replied. "Can I come in?"

"Keira? Why of course, come in, come in." Her mother told her.

Keira opened the door and looked at her mother as she stood facing a mirror while a few of the castle's servants outfitted her in a regal looking yellow and blue dress much like her own.

Her mother turned to face her while her servants stepped away from her. "Keira, darling, what is it?"

"N-nothing…" Keira replied sounding a little nervous. "I was just wondering if I could talk with you for a minute."

Her mother raised her hand up to the servants and nodded her head signaling for them to leave the room. Once they were gone she took a seat on the small wooden stool at her feet beside the mirror.

"What is it?" Her mother asked.

"It's nothing really…" Keira began as she looked down at the ground as she felt her heartbeat begin to increase from nervousness. "It's just that… it's just…"

Her mother motioned for her to continue.

"Is it weird that I like commoners?" Keira asked.

Her mother raised her eyebrow and looked at her strangely. "What do you mean that you like commoners?"

Keira's eyes widened as she became startled. She didn't mean to ask her question like that.

"Well, I mean is it… weird that I enjoy going out in the town among all the commoners?" She asked trying not to sound as misleading as last time.

"Well what do you mean by weird?" Her mother asked.

"Is it normal for a princess like me to enjoy being around people who are lesser than me?" She asked.

Her mother leaned back as she thought for a moment. "I guess it is a bit of an odd thing for princess to do…" She began making her feel a little upset. "But if it makes you happy then I don't see anything wrong with it."

Keira formed a small smile. "Thank you mother."

"Oh it's always a pleasure to help you out. I thought me and your father raised you well enough to understand that." Her mother told her.

"Yeah, you're right…" Keira said quietly before finally allowing the fact her mother wasn't in her usually emerald green dress but her more formal yellow one enter her head. "So what are you all dressed up for?"

"I'm making sure this old thing still fits." Her mother replied as she stood up and looked back in the mirror. "Tomorrows the day we celebrate the summer harvest remember, or have you forgotten?"

Keira stood silently in front of her mother as she turned around to face her. She had been so busy sorting out her thoughts of romance that she had completely forgotten about the summer harvest festival out in town.

"It's alright if you've forgotten dear." Her mother told her. "All you need to do to prepare is wear your good dress, your father and I are capable of taking care of the rest."

"Oh, well that's good." Keira remarked.

"And I'm sure Edwin is looking forward to spending the day with you tomorrow." Her mother continued.

"Hm?" Keira asked a little surprised.

"Well your father thought that tomorrow would be the perfect opportunity for you and Edwin to spend some more time together." Her mother explained. "He thinks that you two should be seen a together a bit outside of the castle since you don't seem to hate him like all your other suitors."

"Oh… that's nice…" Keira said in a slightly upset tone. Like her father truly had the right to go and do that.

Her mother examined her for a moment. "You look a little famished, why don't you go down to the dining hall and get something to eat. I don't recall seeing you at dinner last night or at breakfast this morning."

Keira nodded her head. "Yes mother."

Keira turned around and left the room and began walking towards the dining hall. As she did she began to think about the oncoming events the next day. To be seen out in public with Edwin would not only fill the minds of her parents and the town with ideas of their relationships but could also increase any possible feelings she had for him.

"_Oh well most of the people who show up to the festival are farmers…"_ She thought to herself.

Suddenly she stopped dead in her tracks when she suddenly remembered something.

Jack is a farmer.


	12. Confusion

"Ugh, stop fidgeting so much Keira…" Celia complained as she struggled to place the white and purple flower headpiece to Keira's dress in her hair.

Keira tightly shut her eyes in pain and placed her hand on the back of her head as she felt Celia move the headpiece again causing it to tug on her hair. "Ow, I would but, ow, you're pulling on my hair too much."

Celia slightly adjusted the headpiece before dropping her arms down to her sides in defeat as she took a step away from Keira. "Fine, wear it how it is."

Keira gave Celia a glare before turning back to the mirror in front of her and adjusting the headpiece a bit more while she walked away. Once done she stopped and stared at her reflection. In preparation for the Summer Harvest Festival that was about to take place she had a yellow colored headband with red colored stars on it around her head underneath the flower headpiece and was wearing a light green dress with a gold trim around the neck that extended down the center of dress to her waist to a light pink frilly bottom. The ends of her sleeves also had frilly light pink extensions that covered her hands. She tried to smile at how nice she looked but the thought of how she had to get all dressed up while all the commoners simply wore their normal everyday clothes caused her to instead form a smile frown. It was just another burden of being a princess to her.

"What are you so upset about?" Celia asked as she walked back over to her with a long semi-translucent white cloth that draped over Keira's shoulders and watched as she let it slide down her arms.

"Oh it's nothing." Keira sighed as she stood up from her seat on the stool in front of the mirror.

Celia leaned towards her and straightened out the sides of her dress before smiling at her. "You look great.

Keira glanced back at the mirror before facing Celia again and putting on a fake smile. "I do don't I?"

"All those commoners out there celebrating are going to be jealous of you, I'm sure of it." She told her. "They'll especially be jealous of Edwin when they see that he's the lucky one who has control of your heart."

Keira's smile began to recede and was soon replaced with a slightly aggravated look.

"What do you mean he has control of my heart?" She asked in a somewhat harsh manner.

Celia backed away a bit at Keira's sudden anger. "Well he is your current suitor and you haven't shown any signs of hatred towards him…"

Keira continued to give Celia a harsh stare for a moment before lightening up. She knew she had to learn how to keep her emotions under control or else there was a chance she could slip up and say the wrong thing about her current troubles to the wrong person.

"Oh, I'm sorry Celia." Keira apologized. "I'm just a little angry at my father right now that's all. I didn't mean to take any of it out on you."

Celia gave her a friendly smile. "That's alright, I understand."

Keira glanced out the window. "I guess it's time for me to head out huh?"

"Guess so." Celia replied. "Just remember to enjoy yourself."

Keira gave Celia a quick wave before heading over to the door and stepping out of her room into the hall while she stayed behind. Being a servant, Celia had to stay back and remain in the castle during the festival and attend to any business that might come up while Keira and her family was way, yet another thing she couldn't understand. If it was really a festive day then shouldn't everyone get the day off?

As she approached the main entryway of the castle, Keira gently lifted the bottom of her dress and descended the main stairs to meet with her family and Edwin. Her mother was the only one out of the three who was dressed up for the occasion and just like the previous day was wearing a dress that was essentially a larger version of her usual yellow dress. The fact that only wealthy and high class woman and girls had to dress up was just another thing Keira couldn't understand.

"There you are Keira." Her mother greeted with a smile as Keira stepped of the stairs and walked over to her.

"Hello mother, father, Edwin." She greeted with a polite curtsy.

"Keira my dear you look lovely." Her father complemented.

"I couldn't have said better words myself." Edwin remarked causing her to actually blush a little.

"Why thank you." She said.

He extended out his hand to her. "Shall we head out?"

She nodded her head and silently wrapped her arm around his and walked over to his side, telling herself in her head that she was only doing so because she had to though a part of her felt it was more because she wanted to.

"Let us proceed then." Her father remarked.

Her mother grabbed a hold of her father's arm and the two proceeded to walk out of the castle's main entryway while her and Edwin followed closely behind as a few of the castle's guards surrounded the group. As they all neared the large open area in the center of town where the festivities were taking place the crowds of people standing around in wait for them gave cheers for them while a small group of musicians serenaded them. They all walked over to a large wooden stage near the edge of the center that had been built for the occasion and climbed up the small set of stairs beside it. Atop the stage sat a long table covered with a long yellow cloth and four chairs that were all placed on one side reserved for Keira and her family so they could observe the festivities. Her mother took a seat in the chair placed closest to the stairs while her father sat beside her and with Keira next to him and then Edwin on the other side. Once they were seated a few servants came up and poured a small amount of wine into the drinking glasses that had been set on the table beside the plates. Once they stepped off the stage Keira's father took a sip from his glass before standing up and beginning to give a speech to the crowd of commoners that gathered in front of it but Keira was too busy scanning the crowd to pay attention to her father's words. She looked around as more and more people crowded around and soon let out a quiet gasp when she caught sight of Jack. He was standing far out in the back of the crowd and seemed to be paying attention to her father but she soon began to smile when she saw him turn around a bit and caught sight of her, smiling as well.

"I'd also like to take this time to honor my beautiful daughter Keira." Her father announced causing her to quickly shift her attention of to him. "May her latest and most respectable suitor finally be the one that gains her lovely hand in marriage."

Keira became flooded with embarrassment at that comment and she sunk back into her chair as she raised her glass in order to fake appreciation at her father's words. How could he embarrass her like that? She quickly shifted her eyes back over to Jack who gave her a friendly and reassuring smile which partially calmed her down.

"Let the festivities begin!" Her father declared.

The town center soon filled with the sound of cheering and conversation as everyone began to talk and feast amongst each other while others danced in the open center. After a moment more servants came up on the stage and proceeded to serve Keira and her family freshly prepared food. While they ate in silence Keira made sure to keep track of Jack out in the crowd and constantly glanced up and watched him as he moved around the area. She felt a little relieved at the fact that he didn't seem to acknowledge the fact that she was watching her as he walked up to the various stands scattered about the area but she soon felt her heart sink when a young women approached him. She had long flowing blonde hair that began to curl as it fell below her shoulders and had beautiful emerald colored eyes. She was wearing a simple long flowing red dress with a gold belt around her waist that seemed to say that she was fairly high up in society but likely not among the wealthy. Her attractiveness seemed to be apparent to Jack as Keira could she as he began to blush causing the young women to laugh. She talked with him for a moment before grabbing his hand and pulling him out into the crowded dancing area which he should no visible protest to. Keira placed the fork in her hand aside and sunk back into her seat once more.

"Is something wrong Keira?" Edwin asked as he glanced over at her and could see that she was upset.

She quickly sat back up in her seat. "I-I'm fine." She replied just as quickly. She couldn't show the sadness she felt from Jack's actions here, especially in front of her parents.

She felt as her father gave her a little nudge with his elbow.

"You two should go out there and dance." He suggested as she turned to face him. "Let the people go and see who their future rulers will be."

Again Keira began to feel a slight anger at her father's words forming in her heart but quickly formed a smile in place of it. Going out to dance would give her the perfect change to go out and get closer to Jack and his new "friend."

She turned to Edwin. "That sounds like a great idea." She told him as she stood up and held out her hand to him. "Shall we?"

He grabbed her hand and stood up. "Why not."

She quickly dragged him over to the edge of the stage and scurried down the stairs before heading towards the dancing area. When she reached its outer edge she raised her head and quickly searched the area in search of Jack to find that him and his partner were all the way on the other side of the area.

"What are you looking for?" Edwin asked.

"Oh, nothing, nothing." Keira replied a nervously as she faced him. "Shall we dance now?"

"After you." He replied.

Keira nodded her head and placed her arm around him while holding onto his hand while he did the same and the two began to dance out into the crowd. As they got deeper into the pairs of dancers towards Jack many of them stopped and spaced themselves out so they could watch the two danced around with one another. Keira could once again feel as her heartbeat began to once again speed up as her view of Jack got closer and closer with each turn eventually resulting in her feeling as the flowers on her headpiece brushed up against his smooth brown hair causing both pairs to stop.

"I'm sorry." She heard Jack begin as she turned to face him. "We didn't see where… Oh Keira, it's you." He said in a surprised tone before giving a slight bow along with his partner. "Now I'm greatly sorry."

She gave him a smile. "Oh it's alright Jack. We're all just having fun here."

Edwin and Jack's dancing partner looked at the two strangely.

"You know Princess Keira?" The blonde haired girl asked in disbelief.

Edwin looked closely at Jack as if he was trying to recognize him. "_Yes_, you know this peas… commoner Keira?"

She turned to Edwin. "Yes, this is the farmer who saved my life when I was captured by a group of thieves just about a week ago."

Edwin gave her a look that seemed to tell her he didn't fully believe her while Jack's partner covered her mouth in disbelief.

"You saved Princess Keira?" She asked as she lowered her hands from her mouth.

Jack put on a cocky smile. "Well I don't want to really brag but I sort of did. I heard that she was in trouble and hurried out to find her since I was the only one who knew she was in danger."

Keira put on a smile. "He managed to save me just in time to. My captors were talking about how they were going to kill me. I was so scared but now I'm thankful that Jack was able to save me."

The blonde haired girl placed her hands on Jack's arm. "You're so brave Jack."

"It was nothing really. I just wanted to help her that's all. It was my job at the time." He replied.

They all stood in silence for a moment until Edwin seemed to become uneasy with how Keira and the blonde haired girl stared lovingly at Jack and spoke up.

"Well it was nice to meet you Jack." He said with a quick nod of his head.

The blonde haired girl tugged on Jack's arm. "We should be going now."

He looked over at her and smiled. "I guess so." He turned to Keira and gave a wave as he began to walk away. "I guess I'll see you next time you stop by."

As he walked away Keira cupped her hands over her mouth. Did he really just say that she visits him in front of Edwin? That was certainly something she didn't want anyone to know.

"Well… he seems like a rather… er… nice fellow." Edwin remarked as she looked at him. At least he didn't seem to acknowledge his parting comment.

"He really is." She replied.

"So shall we get back to dancing?" He asked.

She looked around the area to find that she had lost sight of Jack before turning back to Edwin. "Sure."

They wrapped their arms around each other once more and began to make their way back into the crowd of other dancing commoners. All the while Keira's eyes constantly paced back and forth in order to try and once again catch of sight Jack but him and his friend seemed to have vanished. She sighed and focused her attention back on Edwin who appeared to be oblivious to her strange actions which managed to calm her. After a while Edwin let go of her.

"Well I think that's enough for now." He told her.

Keira brushed away a few strands of hair hanging in front of her eyes. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Let's head back over to your parents." He said.

She nodded her head and soon began to trail behind him when suddenly she finally managed to catch sight of Jack standing beside a small alleyway with the blonde haired girl from earlier. The two had her arms wrapped around one another and were staring into each other's eyes while they talked. Keira stopped for a moment and watched them as they stood there unaware of her and then suddenly she felt her heart sink once more when she saw the girl lean into Jack and give him a kiss.

"_He… he's already in love with her…?_" She thought upsettingly.

He couldn't be thought. If he was in love with someone else then any feelings she could have for him would be pointless since she had no chance with him then. She watched as she pulled away from him and smiled.

"Keira are you alright?" She heard Edwin ask as he approached her.

She continued to stare at Jack in disbelief as her heart began to break apart.

"Keira?" Edwin asked again.

Suddenly in an act that she felt she had no control over Keira felt as her body turned around and wrapped her arms around Edwin's neck before shutting her eyes bring him closer for a kiss. As soon as their lips met Keira opened her eyes and looked over at Jack and then watched as the blonde haired girl let go of him and ran over to another young looking young man and embraced him while Jack seemingly waved goodbye to her. Then when the girl kissed the new gentleman Keira became confused. She felt as time seemed to slow down as her eyes batted back and forth between Edwin whose lips were pressed against hers, the blonde haired girl who was now kissing someone else after just doing the same to Jack, and Jack himself who watched her as she did so without any trouble at all. Then when Jack looked over at her and gave her an approving smile she felt a wave of conflicting emotions surge over her. Just what had happened? She pulled away from Edwin.

"Well… that was pleasant." He remarked as she let go of him. "Keira?"

She looked at him confused as her eyes continued to bounce back between him and Jack.

"Edwin… I… I…" She began to stutter.

"Keira is something wrong?" He asked.

Without another word Keira immediately ran past him headed in the direction of the town entrance and out towards the forest.


	13. Trapped

When Keira finally reached her special spot out in the forest she fell down to her knees and rested on her hands as she began to catch her breath after all the running she had just done. Once she felt her rapid heartbeat begin to slow it's pounding against her chest she sat back on her feet and rested her hands on her lap as she stared up at the orange tinted sky above. Even after everything that had happened at the festival earlier and all the running she had just done the sun was only just starting to fall beneath the horizon. She looked down at the pond in front of her and leaned over it as she began to run her hand through the water and swirl it around before soon pulling it out. Shutting her eyes she leaned back and began to think about Jack the scene she had witnessed involving him at the festival. She just didn't understand how he could he go from kissing that blonde haired woman one second to then watching her kiss another man while seemingly being unaffected by it. Then there was that kiss of hers with Edwin. She knew deep down that she truly only did that out of the confusion and partially amount of heartbreak she felt from Jack initial actions with that blonde haired woman but she also knew that to Edwin and anyone who witnessed that kiss, including Jack, it seemed to be out of love or appreciation.

Keira leaned forward and stared at her partially distorted reflection and saw exactly what she feared, a formally dressed and respectable princess. Shutting her eyes tightly she swatted at the water where her reflection sat and watched as it broke apart in the ripples she created. She hated this life of a princess she lived and yet there was nothing she could do to rid herself of it. To her parents and the whole town it seemed like after an eternity of turning away suitors she had finally found one she had approved of while to her the one she truly desired appeared to be slipping away from her. At that moment she felt as her heart and mind wandered into a thick fog of confusion. What was she to do? As she began to lie down on her side in the soft grass beside her the image of Jack kissing that blonde haired woman started to burn itself in her mind causing her to shed a few tears that slowly fell down her cheek into a small puddle beneath her head that dripped into the pond. Now that she had possibly lost Jack she could feel that she truly feel how much she longed for him and desperately wanted to be with him. He was her key to ridding herself of her life of royalty and yet now he seemed to be lost. Slowly she began to drift asleep.

* * *

A thick cloud of fog greeted Keira's eyes as they slowly opened up as she awoke. She quickly sat up and looked around the area surrounding the pond to see that the fog around her seemed to stretch endlessly through the trees as it blocked the sun in the sky above her preventing her from determining what time it was. Looking back out at the pond a calm breeze blew past her causing one of the purple flowers on her headpiece to come off and gracefully fall onto the pond water. Suddenly she began to notice as small multicolored sparkles began to rise up from the water and surround a humanly figure of a woman that started to appear floating over the center of the pond. Keira fell back in a combination of fear and surprise at the sight of the mystical woman and as more of her became visible the more she was able to make out her appearance. She had naturally green colored hair that was curled up on the sides of her head while the rest of it was braided into long ponytail and was wearing a short blue top that stopped above her stomach with a long half dark blue half light blue skirt that was held up by a red belt around her waist that had a long gold charm on the front of it, certainly not the appearance of someone who would cause her harm.

"Who… who are you?" Keira asked as she held her arm up in front of her face to shield herself just in case.

The woman put on a playful smirk as she raised her hands in the air in a majestic manner. "Why I'm the Harvest Goddess."

Keira lowered her arm as she stared at the supposed Goddess with her mouth agape. The Goddess was just a legend spoken of by the people of her kingdom, there was no way she could be standing right in front of her.

"Y-Y-Your r-real?" Keira stuttered.

The Goddess placed her hands on her hips and gave her an aggravated look. "Of course I am." She told her before becoming less tense. "Though I suppose I shouldn't get to mad. After all, I guess this is a little unexpected."

Keira got up to her feet and walked up to the water's edge. "What… what are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same." The Goddess replied.

Keira looked at her confused.

"Just about once a week I hear you come to my pond and sit around while you think to yourself for hours on end. I'm fine with you just sitting around in the grass but when you stick your feet in her it's a different story." She told her.

"I'm sorry." Keira apologized with a quick bow. "I didn't mean to disrupt you or anything." She stopped and thought for a moment. "But how come you're just appearing to me now?"

"Well you've never offered anything to me. I can only appear when someone offers me something." The Goddess explained.

Keira looked down at the pond water and noticed the purple flower from her headpiece floating in the water. The Goddess must have mistaken it falling into the water as an offering.

"So what's on your mind for today then?" The Goddess asked causing Keira to look back up at her. "I don't mean to be intrusive or anything it's just that I'm here so I might as well ask."

"Oh, it's nothing." Keira replied a little shyly as she looked away.

The Goddess crossed her arms. "Come now, I'm not going to tell anyone or anything. Maybe I can help."

Keira took a deep breath. "Well, it's just that I've been having some… trouble with my feelings that's all."

"Such as?" The Goddess asked.

"Well since I'm the princess my parents want me to get married to a nice, wealthy lord or something from another kingdom so I can grow up and rule the kingdom with him when it's my time." She explained.

"What's the problem then?" The Goddess asked. "That doesn't sound like it should trouble you at all."

"I know it shouldn't but it's just that… it's just…" She took a deep breath. "It's just that I think I love somebody else."

"Now this sounds interesting…" The Goddess remarked. "Go on…"

"Well it's just that there was this night a while ago when I was captured by a group a thieves. They were going to kill me but this nice farmer named Jack came and saved me. After that he brought me over to his farm out here and let me spend the day with him and it helped me realize that I don't want this life. I just don't want to be a princess." She told her.

"So your parents want you to marry a wealthy man but you're in love with a farmer?" The Goddess asked for clarification.

Keira nodded her head. "It's just that with him I'd be able to rid myself of this princess life and become a commoner but I know that my parents would never approve of it. And then I remembered that when I marry someone then they become royalty which makes me think that trying to marry him to become a commoner is pointless, and then yesterday I saw him kissing some other girl which broke my heart but then he watched her kiss somebody else and was fine with it and… and… and I just have no idea what to do anymore!" Keira shouted almost crying at the end of her explanation.

"Calm down." The Goddess told her as she moved her hands up and down to emphasize her words.

"I just don't understand! I mean I don't want to be a princess and marry somebody I don't love but I don't know how I can marry the person I might love and lose my royal status!" Keira shouted.

She then fell down to her knees and covered her eyes as she began to cry at how upset she was making herself. She was just overwhelmed with confusion.

The Goddess sighed. "Look, I'm not sure what I can do to help you but I can tell you this."

Keira slowed down her crying and looked up at her.

"You should do what you want and go with what you truly desire. I'm sure that everything will work out for the better for you." The Goddess advised.

Keira wiped the tears in her eyes. "Do… do you really think so?"

"Of course I do." The Goddess replied.

Keira formed a smile. "Thank you.

The Goddess smiled back. "Don't mention it."

Suddenly with the same breeze that caused her to appear the Goddess began to disappear in front of Keira's eyes. Once she was gone Keira remained still for a moment before looking back at her reflection in the water and saw something more than she did last time. It was still the same image of her as a nicely dressed princess but now there was something more. In her eyes she could see a small twinkle, and to her that twinkle represented her. The kind of person she wanted to be was simply trapped inside of her waiting to be set free and she knew what she had to do to release it.


	14. Thank You

Jack was seated in the lone chair in his house beside his table as he ate his small lunch consisting of a small loaf of bread, some corn, and a glass of milk. As he ate Buddy sat underneath the table next to his feet and gnawed on a small grey bone until his ears perked up at sound of footsteps coming from outside. He sat up and stared at the door and started to growl when the sound of the footsteps stopped and was then replaced with the sound of someone banging on the door. Jack looked up from his meal and stared at the door for a moment before glancing out at foggy landscape viewable from his window. He got up from his seat and walked over to the door to open it and was greeted by Keira who immediately embraced him as soon as she could.

"K-K-K-Keira?" Jack stuttered in surprise as she tightened her grip around him and rested her head on his chest. "W-What are you doing here?"

"Th-that girl Jack, that girl!" She cried frantically. "Who, who was she?"

He placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her away a bit but continued to hold onto her as he stared at her confused. "What girl?"

"That, that girl at the festival, who was she Jack?" She asked.

"Muffy?" He asked. "She was just some girl who needed someone to dance with until her date arrived."

Keira's confusion only worsened. "W-What?"

"Her date to the festival was running late and she wanted to dance so she came up and asked me to dance with he. I didn't want to be rude or anything so I accepted her offer." He explained.

"Th-then why did you kiss her?" She asked.

"Well, I mean it's not like I really wanted to or anything but… well… it's just that she said she had a lot of fun dancing with me and want to repay me for it so she kissed me and then ran off to meet her date when he arrived." He replied.

"So… so you don't love her?" She asked happily as a few tears formed in her eyes.

"No." He answered. "I don't even think I'll see her again."

Keira stared at him for a moment before embracing him tightly again. "Oh Jack you don't know how relieved I am."

Jack slowly placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her away again. "Why does any of that matter Keira? More importantly what are you doing out here? Everyone got so worried when they saw you run off yesterday." He looked down at her dress and took note of how wrinkly it was and all the dirt stains scattered about it. "Have you been hiding out here since then?"

She nodded her head causing him to become startled.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked in a panicked tone.

"I… I just needed to know that I haven't lost you." She told him.

"What?" He asked.

She threw herself into his arms once more and buried her face in his chest. "At, at the festival… when I saw you kiss that girl… I… I was so scared… I-I thought you were in love with somebody else."

The word love seemed to greatly startle him as she felt his body shake as soon as she said it.

"W-W-What?" He stuttered.

"Jack I… I… I think I love you." She told him.

She felt as his body shook once more before he separated her from him once more.

"W-what?" He asked in an incredibly surprised tone.

"I… I need you Jack." She told him.

"Keira what are you talking about?" He asked. "I… I mean we haven't even known each other that long."

She shook her head. "You, you just don't understand Jack." She began in a stressed tone as she looked back at him. "Ever since you saved me all I can think about is you."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

She sighed and looked out towards the fog covered forest. "Back when I was a little girl I was always forced to learn how to be a proper young princess and I could never do what I wanted. My parents had always told me that it was for the best but I could never believe there words. I just wanted to be able to do what I my heart desired like all everyone else in the world but I just wasn't allowed to. My caretaker could see my plight and let me go and run around in the castle garden for as long as I wanted whenever she could but when she died so did those opportunities."

He shook his head in confusion at her.

"Those opportunities… those chances I had to be free to do whatever I wanted… When I lost them I started to forget about them…" She continued. "But then when you took me here to your farm after you saved me and let me work with you… being able to go out in your field and help… it made me remember that I don't want this life."

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

"I… I want your life Jack." She answered.

His confusion with what she was talking about only became more evident by the strange stare he gave her. "W-What?"

"This life of yours, this life of being a farmer…" She told him as her eyes began to water. "I want it."

"What do you mean you want it?" He asked.

"Jack, I want to be with you because I know you can help me rid myself of this life of a princess." She told him.

He shook his head at her again. "I… I just don't understand."

"I don't want to be a princess anymore Jack; I want to be a commoner like you!" She cried. "And I know that you can help me make that dream come true."

He stared at her silently for a moment until the sound of voices in the distance attracted their attention.

"I think I heard the princess's voice coming from over here." They heard someone shout to someone else.

Keira's eyes widened with fear and she quickly grabbed onto Jacks hands and brought them to her chest as she looked at him fearfully. "Jack please you have to hide me!"

"What?" He asked.

"Please Jack, those are my guards! They're looking for me! Please you have to hide me for the time being! Please!" She begged.

He continued to stare at her for a moment before placing his arms around her and leading her inside his house. "Alright, stay here."

She nodded her head and he shut the door as he stepped back outside. She turned around to watch Buddy emerge from under the table and approach her. She bent down in front of him and stuck out her hand which he then sniffed for a moment before licking it. She removed her hand from the front of his face and gently patted him on the head for a moment until she began to hear the faint sound of voices coming from outside. She walked over to the window and peeked her head out, being sure not to reveal too much of herself, and watched as Jack conversed with two of the towns guards that were likely searching for her. They didn't seem to be aware that she was watching them and they soon started to walk back into the fog as Jack waved goodbye before stepping back inside.

She slowly walked towards him. "They're… they're looking for me aren't they?"

He nodded his head.

She ran up and embraced him once more. "Thank you Jack."

He wrapped his arm around her and placed it underneath her hair so it was resting against the soft fabric of her dress and embraced her back for a moment.

"So… you… you really want to be with me?" He asked. "Like… a couple?"

He felt as she nodded her head against his chest.

"I understand but… we just met awhile ago. Don't you think you're going a little fast with this?" He asked.

She looked up him before resting the side of her head on his chest again. "I know but when you're a princess you don't have a lot of time for romance… especially with someone like you. When you live a life of royalty your parents want you to be wed as soon as possible."

"That's alright." He replied. "If you really want to be with me then I won't argue. I have no right to go against what you say."

She tightened her grip around him. "Thank you…"

She felt as he began to gently rock her side to side for a moment before laughing a little.

"Kind of funny." He remarked. "The princess of a kingdom liking a simple farmer…"

She broke away from him and looked down at the ground emitting a feeling of sadness. "Yeah… I just don't know how my parents will take it… that is if I can ever tell them…"

He walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "It'll be alright Keira. If this is what you really want we'll find a way to make it work."

She looked up at him and remembered how the Goddess had told her the same thing. "You're right. I know we can figure this out."

He gave her a smile as she looked over at the table.

"So what were you doing before I showed up?" She asked.

"I was having lunch." He replied as he removed his hand from her shoulder and walked towards the table. "If you want I can get you something to eat as well, I'm sure you haven't eaten since yesterday."

She smiled and gave him a hug. "Thank you."

Jack walked over to his cabinet and pulled out some fruit that he had been saving and placed them on top of a somewhat dirty rag that he set out atop the table. He allowed Keira to use the chair beside the table while they ate leaving him to stand though he didn't mind. Every few seconds she would look up at him and smile at how happy she was with the fact that he had accepted her request to which he would always respond with a smile back. With each moment she sat in the house with him she could feel as the commoner she longed to be inside her neared the imaginary wall separating her from reality. She knew that with Jack's help she would find a way to overcome it but how and when it would happen had yet to reveal itself.


	15. Understanding

Later that evening after the sun had fallen beneath the trees of the forest and the moon and stars had taken its place Jack and Keira were sitting on the small tree stump in the middle of the field. They were both looking up at the lights in the sky as he kept his arm around her while she rested her head on his shoulder. After their lunch together earlier that day, Keira had once again offered to help Jack with his farm work and aided him in taking care of his animals. She first started off helping him groom and feed his horse before helping him out in the barn with his cows. Since he has two he used the first one to demonstrate to her how to milk one and then let her try herself on the second. She wasn't very good at it at ended up getting quite a few milk stains on her dress but neither of them seemed to care, just so long as she was happy. Though throughout the time they worked they remained relatively silent and for some reason Jack appeared to be troubled by something but whenever Keira tried to question him about it he simply changed the subject back to work.

Keira let out a pleasant sigh as she placed her hand on Jack's chest and inched a little closer to him for protection from the summer night's cold breeze. "I can't thank you enough for this Jack." She said as she looked up at him. "It was such a wonderful day."

He rubbed her side with the hand he had around her. "Yeah, I guess it was…" He replied sounding a little disappointed.

"Jack what's wrong?" She asked.

He took a deep breath. "Well… it's just that when you talked about being with me… it seemed like you just want to be with me because I'm a farmer."

She removed her head from its position on his shoulder while he did the same with his arm around her. "What do you mean?"

"Well it's just that it sounds like you could've fallen in love with anyone so long as they were a commoner." He explained.

She lowered her eyebrows in confusion.

"It's… it's just that I'm worried…" He told her.

"Worried about what?" She asked.

"I'm worried that… that… that maybe you don't really love _me_, but rather just the life I live." He replied. "If we ever find a way to rid you of your life of royalty I'm worried that you might leave me afterwards for someone more… desirable…"

She stared at him in disbelief. "Jack… do… do you really think that?"

He looked away at the ground painfully.

"Jack." She began in a serious tone as she placed her hand on his face and forced him to stare into her eyes. "I… I'm sorry if I wasn't as clear as I should've been earlier… but please know… that I don't just love you for your life… but for the person you are as well… you've saved my life and let me do as I please without worry… something no one else will ever do…" She grabbed onto his hand with both of hers and brought it close to her heart. "Please Jack… you have to believe me when I tell you, that no matter what, if you can help rid me of this life I live… I will always remain faithful to you."

He slowly began to form a smile as he placed his free hand on top of hers. "I… I'm sorry that I could have ever thought that you didn't really love me after what you told me before."

She smiled at him. "That's alright Jack, I understand."

They gazed into each other's eyes silently as she continued to hold his hands close to her heart when suddenly they both began to slowly lean towards each other. As their faces inched closer and closer to other's they shut their eyes and soon felt as their lips pressed up against one another. It was with that moment that they kissed that Keira could feel that Jack was the right choice and the key to her becoming a commoner while Jack was able to understand that Keira would stay true to her words and remain faithful to him if he could help her. As their lips parted they opened their eyes and stared into another's telling each other about their newfound knowledge. Jack removed his hand from atop hers and brushed away the hair on the side of her face before placing it on it.

"Keira I promise you," He began as he gently slid his hand down her face. "That I'll do whatever I can to help you."

She grabbed his hand and brought it back to her heart again. "Thank you Jack."

She leaned into him and rested her head on his chest and let out another pleasant sigh before letting go of him and wrapping her arms around him to which he did the same with her.

"Feeling a little tired?" He asked as he looked down at her and began to rub her back.

He felt as she nodded his head against his chest.

"I don't blame you." He remarked as he looked up at the stars above. "You've been pretty busy these past few days."

"I have haven't I?" She rhetorically asked as her voice began to trail off.

He continued to rub her back for a moment before helping her up to her feet.

"Come on, let's get you to bed." He told her before taking her hand and leading her back over to the house.

Inside Buddy greeted them with a few friendly barks which Jack responded to by crouching down and rubbing his head.

"So I figured you can use my bed again for the night." He told Keira as he looked back at her. "That is if you plan on spending the night here."

She smiled at him. "Of course I do. It's far too late for me to head back to my castle. The forest is full of dangers at this time."

"Well I'll leave you to get settled then." He said as he looked back at Buddy. "You'll be sure to protect Keira won't you boy?"

Buddy gave an affirmative bark before quickly turning around and running over to Keira and sitting in front of her.

"Thanks Jack." She laughed.

He gave her a smile and began to step outside. "I'll be out in the barn if you need anything." He told her before stepping out.

Once the door shut Keira looked down at Buddy who was sitting at her feet and smiled. He gave her a friendly bark and she turned then turned around and climbed into Jack's bed. As Buddy circled the ground beside the bed before settling down and beginning to fall asleep Keira lied down against the mattress she had once complained about due to it being too hard to find that it was much softer this time around. Maybe Jack had done something to it after she told him it was a little too hard last time or maybe she was accepting that one day she'd have to sleep on a bed as rough as it for the rest of her life. Whatever the case was happy that she could count on him to help her and that maybe one day her deepest desire would be fulfilled.

* * *

That night Keira had a dream. She dreamed that she was once again a little girl wearing her traditional princess clothing and running through the gardens of castle. As she ran she noticed that the forest outside the garden and began to head towards it. Her heart began to race as she neared the tree line but just when she was a few feet away from it a large stone wall emerged in front of her blocking her escape. She looked up at the seemingly endless height of the wall and felt as he heart sank. There was no way she could scale it alone. Then suddenly at the top of the wall she noticed as Jack appeared holding his hand out towards her and suddenly the wall didn't seem so massive. She looked down at her clothing and noticed that she was now her current age and no longer in her usual yellow dress but instead in a long red kirtle with a white tunic underneath, just like a commoner. She looked back up at Jack who still had his hand out towards her and she placed her hand the open section between the bricks making up the wall and began to climb. As she reached the halfway point of the wall she began to hear shouting and looked down at the ground to see her father standing beside Edwin, pointing up at her and shouting at his guards to stop her. She looked back up at Jack who was with in arms length and extended her hand out to him. He attempted to grab her hand but she felt as one of her guards grabbed onto her foot and tried to pull her down.

"Come on Keira, just a little closer." Jack told her.

She tried her hardest to reach for him but the resistance coming from below her felt too strong.

"Get her down from there!" She heard her father shout. "I will not have my daughter become a damn peasant!"

She closed her eyes tightly. She couldn't do this.

She looked up at Jack who gave her an encouraging look.

"Come on Keira! You can do this! You want to do this!" He told her. "You need to do this!"

Suddenly she felt her heart rise up. He was right. She had to do this. It was the only way she could be content with her life.

She kicked her leg back knocked the guard holding onto it off and she reached back up towards Jack. She could feel as the tips of their fingers brushed against each other. As she neared the palm of his hand her heart began to pound against her chest so hard that it felt like it was about to burst out of her. Her hand hovered over as and she formed a satisfied smile as she looked up at him. She was about to place hers on top of his so he could pull her up when suddenly.

"Bark!"


	16. Lost and Alone

Keira's eyes quickly opened as she sat up in Jack's bed before looking over at Buddy who was angrily barking at the door. In between his barks she could hear the sound of voices arguing coming from outside and sensing there was trouble she quickly hopped out of bed and walked over to the window. Again, she peered out of it being sure not to reveal too much of herself but she quickly let out a gasp and leaned back against the wall beside the window at the sight of two of her guards standing in the middle of the field arguing with Jack. She looked back out the window and tried her hardest to listen in on the conversation going on.

"I told you the princess isn't here!" Jack shouted at the two guards.

"Look peasant, at the festival she was last seen running out to this part of the forest and there's no other people around and no places she could be so she must be here." One of the guards told him.

"So? Just because she was seen running here that doesn't mean she is here." Jack argued.

The other guard examined Jack closely before tapping on the other's arm. "Hey, doesn't this guy look familiar?"

The other guard examined him as well. "You're right. Weren't you that peasant that supposedly saved Princess Keira from a group of thieves?"

"I bet he's the one who captured her in the first place." The other remarked.

"Hey! I thought you were here in search of the princess, not a fight!" Jack said angrily.

The two guards began to laugh a little.

"Don't even try it peasant." One of them advised.

Jack began to bare his teeth as he looked at them angrily. After a moment his eyes wandered towards his house and quickly widened when they made contact with Keira's who stared back at him. His sudden surprise seemed to attract the attention of the guards who quickly looked back at the house as Keira left her position by the window.

"Did you see that?" One of them asked before they both turned to Jack. "Who's in there?"

"No one." Jack answered.

The guards narrowed their eyebrows at him before turning and marching towards his house.

"Hey what do you think you're doing?" Jack asked as he ran up and blocked the door in front of them. "You can't just search my house!"

One of the guards grabbed Jack by the arm and pulled him away from the door. "Just watch."

The guard nodded his head at the other who then opened and was greeted by Buddy who ran up to him and began to furiously bark at him.

"Shut up you mutt!" The guard shouted at him as he stomped his spear on the ground in front of him scaring him off a bit.

With Buddy at a distance, the guard stepped into the house and looked around only to find furniture sitting around the room and nothing else while Jack looked into the room confused. He took another step forward and Buddy began to growl as he stared at him and as soon as he took a step towards the bed Bubby barked again before lunging at the guard at biting down on his leg causing him to shout in pain.

"Argh! Get the hell off me you damn mutt!" The guard shouted as he shook his leg throwing Buddy off of it.

"What do you think you're doing to my dog?" Jack asked angrily as he watched Buddy hit the ground and stumble to his feet before continuing to bark at the guard.

"Damn mutt." The guard muttered as he adjusted his helmet before stepping back outside and shutting the door.

"This is an outrage!" Jack shouted as he freed his arm from the guards grip.

"Ah shut up." The guard in front of the door said. "I guess the princess isn't here."

"I told you." Jack remarked.

The guard behind him bashed the wooden end of his spear into his back knocking him down. "We didn't ask for your input."

Jack turned around and leaned back on his arms as he watched the guard by the door approach the other.

"Let's get out of here and search elsewhere." One of them suggested to the other.

Jack slowly got back up to his feet as he watched the two guards turn around and walk off in the direction of the tree line on the other end of his field. Once they were in the shadows of the trees he turned around and walked back into the house to find Keira kneeling in the center of the room as she held Buddy in her arms and petted him.

"Keira?" Jack asked sounding a little surprised. "Where the heck were you?"

"I was hiding under the bed…" She replied as she continued to look down at Buddy and pet him. "I guess that's why Buddy attacked the guard when he started getting close to me."

Jack gave a little smile as he kneeled in front of her and placed his hand on Buddy's head. "Hm, I told you he'd protect you."

Keira smiled and let Buddy crawl out of her hands as she stood back up along with Jack. "Thank you again for protecting me, both of you."

"I told you that I'd help you." He replied as Buddy barked at her in order to try and say the same thing.

"I probably should be getting back home." She told him as she walked over towards the window and looked out it. "Everyone must be worried about me and I wouldn't want to cause you any more trouble."

"That's alright. I understand. But don't you think you should eat something first?" He asked. "It is a quite a ways till town."

"Oh I'd love to stay but I really should return as soon as I can." She replied. "Maybe some other time."

Jack walked over to the cabinet and pulled out a small red apple and handed it to her. "At least take this. I wouldn't want to you to get in any pain from hunger."

She gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "Thank you Jack."

And with that she walked out of the house and headed towards town.

* * *

It was only around ten in the morning when Keira tossed the remaining apple core in her hand into some bushes nearby and passed through the town gates. As she walked down the street towards her castle many of the townspeople in the area stared at her curiously. Where she had been since she had ran from the festival was a mystery to them and the fact that a large amount of flowers from her headpiece were missing and that her dress was covered with dirt, dust, and milk stains could concern them more. When she reached the castle the guards positioned at entrance gave her their usual bow before questioning her.

"Princess Keira!" One of them exclaimed. "Where on earth have you been?"

"I was out." She answered.

"You didn't get in any more trouble did you?" The other asked.

She shook her head. "No, not at all. I just need some time alone."

"Well your brief time alone has caused quite a disturbance here." The first on began. "Your mother is worried, all the guards are out looking for you and your father is furious."

She sighed at the mention of her father. "I suspected as much… do you know where my mother is?"

"She's in her chamber I believe. I'm sure she'll be happy to see that you are unharmed." The second guard replied.

She nodded her head. "Thank you."

Keira then proceeded to enter the castle and began to make her way up the main stairs to see her mother. Much like the townspeople, as she walked through the halls of her castle her servants all stopped to stare and examine her unnatural dirty appearance as they murmured their ideas of what happened to her amongst each other. She paid no attention to any of it though, if she truly wanted to become a commoner she'd have to learn how to let everyone's opinions and comments about her simply pass by her without any heed. Just like the guard at the castle entrance had told her, her mother was busy sitting in her room and when she entered she immediately stood up from her seat and embraced her.

"Oh Keira dear, where have you been?" Her mother asked as she held onto her tightly.

"I was out in the forest." Keira replied as she struggled to breath from how tight her mother held her.

"Oh Keira I've been worried sick about you." Her mother said as she released her. "You didn't get hurt or anything did you?"

She shook her head. "No."

Her mother looked down at her dress and let out a gasp. "Keira! What happened to your beautiful dress?" she grabbed onto it and began to examine the stains on it. "It's absolutely filthy now!"

"It's fine mother." Keira replied as she pulled it away from her. "It's just a little dirty that's all."

"What has gotten into you lately?" Her mother asked. "First you start wandering around without telling anyone and now you're running off during festivals and getting dirty without even caring. Don't you remember what you were taught as a child?"

Keira rolled her eyes and grumbled. "A princess is supposed to be respectable, kind, and well kept." They made it sound like she was more of an object and not an actual person.

"And you probably had to walk all throughout town looking like this on your way here." Her mother complained. "Just great. I'm sure your father would like to hear about this."

Keira sighed. "Where is he anyway?"

"Oh he's up in the throne room cursing at all the guards who can't find you. I should probably tell him your back." Her mother replied as Keira started to look out the small window. "You have no idea how upset he is now. You really embarrassed him at the festival by running off like that."

Keira turned back to her mother and stared at her angrily. "I embarrassed him? What about how he embarrassed me? Going and telling the whole town that I finally found the one who will be my husband. He doesn't have that right!"

"Keira calm yourself down at once!" Her mother order. "You have no right to talk about your father like that. Besides what he said at the festival appears to be true, it does seem that you do love Edwin. And you know how romance is for a princess. As soon as you're in love you're to be wed. That's just how it is."

Keira sighed. Her mother was right, to everyone but her and Jack who knew the truth it did seem that she was in love with Edwin.

"Where is Edwin?" Keira asked.

"Oh he volunteered to go out and help search for you." Her mother answered. "I'm sure once everyone gets notified of your return he'll come back here to the castle. He got pretty worried when you ran off after kissing him. He thinks that he did something wrong."

Keira formed a weak smile.

"He didn't do anything wrong did he?" Her mother asked.

Keira shook her head again. "No…"

"Then why did you just run off?" Her mother asked.

"I… I just needed some time to think… that's all…" Keira replied.

"Think about what?" Her mother asked.

"It's… it's not important." Keira replied.

"What are you trying to hide from me?" Her mother asked.

Keira remained silent.

"Keira." Her mother said in an aggressive tone.

Still no response.

"Keira."

"…"

"Keira!"

"It's nothing mother!" Keira finally shouted. "It's nothing! It's…"

Keira felt as her mother slapped her across the face.

"Stop that!" Her mother shouted at her. "You know better than yell at your own mother! Didn't you learn anything when your father and I raised you?"

Keira clenched her hand into a fist as she looked at her mother angrily as tears formed into her eyes. "While you and father raised me? You did nothing at all! It was all those servants and maids that raised me! Not you! Celia's mother was more of a mother to me than you!"

Her mother looked at her furiously. "What do you think you're saying?"

"That she actually cared about me and what I wanted unlike you!" Keira shouted.

"That peasant? You think some peasant can do a better job raising you?" Her mother asked rhetorically. "You think some peasant can care about you? You think one can just know what you want? Peasants don't know anything! They don't understand how valuable life is. They don't know what's right for a princess like you. I can't even begin to understand what that woman was thinking when she let you go outside during your lessons."

The word peasant, especially when being used to describe some she cared about, only worsened Keira's anger.

"Well you know what mother?" Keira rhetorically asked angrily. "At least she was thinking for me!"

Before her mother could reply Keira turned around and stormed out of the room.

Keira continued to keep her hands clenched and her angry expression on as she marched through the castle halls but as she began to near her room the tears in her eyes began to start making their way down her face as she started to run. When she reached her room she opened the door and stepped inside before slamming it behind her and running over to her bed. She jumped on top of it and buried her face into one of her pillows as she began to cry about the argument that had just taken place. She really didn't mean to get that mad at her mother, or maybe she did. Her mother just didn't seem to understand how different she was from her and she knew now that attempting to purse her relationship with Jack would only become harder. She removed her face from her pillow and flipped over onto her back as looked up at the canopy over her bed and took note of how her once soft and cloudlike bed now felt as stiff as Jack's did the first night she slept there. Her mind seemed to be changing the way her body reacted to things as her desire to become a commoner became apparent. Suddenly she heard as the door began to open and she looked up and watched as Celia walked into the room. Finally someone she could trust.

"Keira are you alright?" Celia asked in a concerned tone as she shut the door behind her and walked over to the bed side. "I thought I heard crying."

Keira sat up in her bed and brought her legs up before wrapping her arms around them. "I-I-I'm alright…"

"I heard you and your mother arguing. What happened?" Celia asked.

Keira buried her face in her knees and shook her head. "She just doesn't understand."

"Understand what?" Celia asked as she took a seat on the edge of the bed.

"She, she thinks _she_ knows what's best for me and what I want…" Keira replied.

"Well she is your mother." Celia told her.

"No…" Keira uttered. "If she was my mother she'd understand what I want… She'd understand that I don't want this… She'd understand why I appreciated what your mother did for me…"

"My, my mother?" Celia asked.

Keira nodded her head. "When we got to go out in the garden… and be free… she understood why that was important me…"

"Be free…?" Celia asked in a confused tone. "What are you talking about?"

Keira shut her eyes tightly as more tears fell from them. It seemed that not even Celia could understand her now.

"Just please Celia… let me be… I just want to be alone right now…" Keira replied.

"Are you sure?" Celia asked.

Keira nodded her head.

Celia got up from her spot on the bed. "Well alright. If you need anything just ask."

She started to walk over to the door but stopped once she placed her hand on the knob.

"Dinner will be ready soon." She said as she turned back to Keira who still had her head resting on her knees.

"I'm not going…" Keira replied quietly.

Celia simply nodded her head and quietly left the room.

Keira just felt so lost now. She knew returning to her castle that explaining her relationship with Jack and why she's seeking it to her parents, if even possible, would be a difficult task but she had no idea that it would lead to such a fierce argument with her mother. Maybe she had been too a little too harsh with what she told her but she knew in her heart that what she had said was partially true. She had always felt abandoned by her parents growing up when they left their servants to do all the work involved. Why couldn't she have been raised like a commoner's child where they received attention and love from their parents and not another's. Then how Celia couldn't understand what she meant when she briefly spoke of her mother only helped make her feel more alone. It seemed like the only one she could rely on now in understanding her problem was Jack, the cause of it all.

* * *

Later early the next morning the sun hadn't even risen when Keira emerged from her room, cleaned and changed into her traditional yellow dress, and began to quietly walk through the halls of the castle. After what had happened to her the previous day she couldn't stand to stay cooped up inside her castle for long and was ready to head out into the forest again. As she walked through the empty hallways of the castle she felt that getting out unnoticed would be a cinch but that belief ended all too quickly when she turned the corner and ran into another person's body.

She closed her eyes as she rubbed her forehead for a moment and when she opened them she was surprised to find that it was Edwin she had run into.

"E-E-Edwin?" She stuttered in a surprised voice. "What are you doing up this early."

"Strange." He remarked as he stood up and extended his arm out to help her up. "I could ask you the same." She grabbed onto his hand and he helped her up to her feet. "I couldn't sleep for some reason and thought a walk would help. Now what are you doing up?"

"I… I was just thinking of going for a walk outside in the town. It… it looks really lovely at this hour." She replied in a hasty manner.

He gave her a curious look. "Alright… would you mind if I accompanied you?"

She quickly shook her head. "Oh no, that's alright. I'd rather go alone this time."

She tried to hurry off and get to the main gate but he walked in front of her to stop her. "Look about the festival the other day. If I did anything wrong that made you uncomfortable…"

"Oh no you didn't do anything wrong." She replied cutting him off. "I just need some time to think about something that's all. It wasn't your fault."

He gave her a little smile. "Well that's a relief. I was a bit worried that I might have offended you some way."

"Then you're welcome." Keira replied before hesitantly giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Well I must be off now. We can talk later."

Before he could say anything back she quickly hurried off down the hall.

* * *

Keira's heart once again pounded on her chest while walked through the forest trees as she neared Jack's. She walked over the fallen branches and roots scattered about the ground but she quickly came to a stop when a hand placed itself on her shoulder and a familiar voice asked.

"Keira what are you doing out here?"

* * *

**A/N: Another cliffhanger. Yayz! :D**


	17. Protection?

Keira's heart once again pounded on her chest while walked through the forest trees as she neared Jack's. She walked over the fallen branches and roots scattered about the ground but she quickly came to a stop when a hand placed itself on her shoulder and a familiar voice asked.

"Keira what are you doing out here?"

Keira's body shook with fear and she quickly turned around to lock eyes with Celia who was staring back at her with a greatly concerned look.

"C-C-Celia…" Keira stuttered out in surprise. "W-What are you doing here?"

Celia removed her hand from her shoulder and looked at her sternly. "I should be asking you that. You know that you shouldn't be wandering outside of the castle at this hour, especially in the forest. It's dangerous out here. Do you want to get kidnapped again or worse?" She asked rather loudly.

Keira swatted at Celia's arm. "I'll only get kidnapped again if you keep shouting and attract attention."

Celia brushed the bottom of her dress to try and recompose herself. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled."

"How did you find me?" Keira asked.

"I-I followed you…" Celia answered sounding a little ashamed with herself. "I was a little worried with the way you've been acting recently and wanted to make sure you were ok."

Keira slowly began to smile. It seemed that maybe Celia could understand what was going on with her.

"But Keira what are you doing here?" Celia asked.

Keira stared silently for a moment as her smile began to recede just as slowly as it formed. She could either admit she was out here to see Jack and hope for the best or she could tell her she was out on a walk and return to the castle without her learning about her secret.

"Well?" Celia asked.

Keira brought her hand up to her chest and looked away. "I-I'm here to see Jack…"

Celia appeared like she had never heard the name before. "Jack?"

"That farmer who saved my life…" Keira told her quietly. "I came out here to see him again…"

Celia's eyes widened. "That farmer? You're out here to see him?" She paused for a moment. "Again?"

Keira glanced up at her and slowly nodded her head.

"What do you mean again?" Celia asked as she took a few steps towards her.

"I… I've been leaving the castle to come out here to see him…" Keira admitted. "Not to walk out around town like I've said I've been recently…"

Celia stared at her in disbelief. "You mean you've been lying to everyone this whole time?"

Keira slowly nodded her head.

Celia paused for a moment as she began to think. "When… When you ran away at the festival… you ran out her to see him didn't you?"

Keira nodded her head once more before starting to shake it a little. "Well not exactly."

"What do you mean?" Celia asked.

Keira looked around and noticed a tree stump nearby and sat down on it. "Well it's just that…" She rested her head in her hands. "Oh where do I begin…?" She took a deep breath. "Celia, ever since that night I met him he's always been on my mind. I was starting to think that I had feelings for him and I came out here a few times to see him but it appeared that he didn't see me as anything special. I tried to keep my shrinking hopes for him alive but then at the festival I saw him kissing some girl and got worried so I ran out here. Then when I came out here I had a talk…" She stopped herself. Celia wouldn't believe her if she said that she talked with, let alone saw, the Harvest Goddess. "A-A while to think before going to Jack's to admit my feelings and well… He's agreed to court me…"

"Court you?" Celia asked in disbelief as she sat down beside her.

Keira nodded her head.

Celia shook her head frantically as she stood up. "No, no, no… I can't let you do this Keira." Keira looked up at her. "You can't be courted by a farmer, you can't!"

"Why not?" Keira asked in slightly angry tone as she quickly rose up from her seat on the stump.

"Because I'm your friend!" Celia shouted at her. "And as your friend it's my duty to serve you and that means making sure you don't go and get yourself into trouble!"

"Trouble? What sort of trouble?" Keira asked.

"The trouble you'll get in if you go and run off with a farmer." Celia answered. "He probably doesn't even love you! He's probably just using you as a way to increase his social status. And how do you know he's not going to hurt you or something?"

Keira stared at her angrily. "Jack isn't using me and he certainly wouldn't hurt me!" She shouted.

"Well how do you know that?" Celia asked in a harsh tone.

"Because I actually know him and that's not who he is." Keira replied.

As soon as she finished her sentence she turned around and crossed her arms.

"I'm going to see him." She told Celia.

She dropped her arms down and tried to walk away but Celia quickly grabbed onto her arm to stop her.

"No Keira." She said in a stern voice. "I can't let you go. I can't let you ruin your life like this."

Keira forcefully pulled her arm out of Celia's grip. "You think I'm ruining my life?" She asked in an almost hysterical manner. "You think by 'running off' with some farmer I'll ruin my life." She walked up to Celia and stared her in the eye. "I can assure you…" She began in a serious tone. "I am doing just the opposite."

Celia looked at Keira dumbfounded for a moment while she continued to stare at her for a moment before turning around and walking down the trail towards Jack's. Only when Keira's body began to fade into the shadows of the trees did she begin to run up to her.

"Keira wait!" She shouted.

Keira turned around as she approached her. "What is it?"

"I… I'm coming with." Celia replied.

"What?" Keira asked.

"I'm coming with you to this farmer's house." Celia told her. "It's my job to protect you."

"Protection? I don't need protection." Keira told her in a harsh tone.

"Yes you do! You don't know this farmer's true intentions for wanted to court you." Celia argued. "You don't know if he…"

"That's enough!" Keira shouted stopping her midsentence. She raised her finger up. "You listen to me…! Jack is not that kind of a person… I care about him like he cares about me… He would never, ever, do anything to hurt me in any way… He unlike anyone else actually understands me and what I want… Now I'm going to go and see him… you can come with so you can see this for yourself…" She paused for a moment. "_But_… If you say anything, _anything_, about him trying to use me… I will be sure to see that you are immediately removed from your position… understood?"

Celia stared at Keira silently in disbelief. She had never seen Keira get this angry before let alone have her threaten her. After a short moment Keira turned around without saying a word and continued into the forest. Slowly, she began to follow her.


	18. Promise

The sun still wasn't even starting to brighten up the sky as both Keira and Celia silently trekked through the remainder of the forest sitting between them and Jack's house and once they arrived at the large soil field it sat on Keira quickly distanced herself from Celia by running over to it. She raised her hand up to knock on the door once she stood in front of it but she lowered it for a moment as she looked back at Celia who slowly approached her. Once she stood at her side Keira lightly tapped on the door and the loud barking of a now awakened Buddy seemed to startle Celia as she jumped back a bit behind her as she patiently remained still. After a short moment Jack groggily opened the door while rubbing his eye as he tried to wake up.

"K-Keira?" He asked as he seemed to try and identify her figure in the night. "Is that you?"

She nodded her head. "Look I know its early Jack but I really wanted to see you again."

He gave her a little smile. "It's alright, you're always welcome here." His eyes wandered over at Celia who was slowly emerging from behind her. "Who this you've brought with you?"

Keira stepped aside fully revealing Celia. "This is my good friend and caretaker, Celia."

He gave her a smile as well. "It's nice to meet you Celia."

She simply formed a nervous smile and nodded her head to which Keira responded to by swatting her arm again seeming to tell her to be nice.

"I-It's nice to meet you too." Celia replied in a forced manner.

Keira turned to Jack and smiled. "She's been a little curious towards where I've been going off to recently and decided to come along with me today to see for where I've been going herself."

"That's understandable" Jack remarked. "I'd be pretty curious to where you've been going off to too if I was one of your servants."

Just then Buddy stepped out from between Jack's feet and began to rapidly bark at Celia, who was still a stranger to him, causing her to once again jump back.

"Oh it's alright Celia." Keira told her as she looked back at her. "He's not going to hurt you." She bent over and picked up Buddy. "Isn't that right?"

Buddy looked over at Celia and growled at her for a moment before focusing his attention on Keira who was holding him. He stared at her for a moment and gave her a friendly bark before licking her face causing her to laugh a little.

Celia on the other hand was startled by how Keira was allowing herself to hold a dirty animal and even more so let it lick her. "Keira, I think…" She began in a quiet voice before stopping herself once she got a good look at her.

That smile that was on her face and the happiness she was emitting at the moment, she had never seen it before. Sure she had seen Keira happy plenty of times but this time it just seemed different, it didn't seem as forced. She actually appeared to be truly happy.

Keira placed Buddy down on the ground after a moment and walked over to Celia's side.

"This is my friend Celia, Buddy." She told him as she placed her hand on her shoulder. "She's friendly, like me."

Buddy approached the two and stuck his head out as he began to sniff her. Keira gave Celia a light tap and she nervously bent down and stuck her hand out in front of Buddy's nose. He leaned in closer and sniffed her hand for a moment before licking it causing her to pull it away and shake it.

Keira began to laugh a little. "That means he likes you."

"Oh, well that's good…" Celia replied in a nervous manner as a cold gust of wind blew past her and Keira.

Jack stepped aside opening the doorway. "Come in you two. It's still pretty cold out and I'm sure you could both use something to eat."

Keira nodded her head and stepped inside. "Yeah, your right." She looked back at Celia who was still standing outside. "Are you coming?"

Celia's eyes bounced back and forth between Jack and Keira. She didn't know whether she should chose to believe Keira's words about this farmer and step into his house or if she should leave and possibly safe her life. But she couldn't just leave; after all, protecting Keira was her job and if she was to leave and then something were to her it would be her fault. Hesitantly she stepped inside.

* * *

Later that morning, Keira's mother frantically paced back and forth in the castles throne room while her father sat patiently in his seat.

"I just don't understand what's gotten into that daughter of ours." Her mother said in a worried tone. "First she starts constantly leaving the castle grounds, then she runs off during festivals and now she's arguing with her own mother!"

Her father motioned his hand up and down to calm her. "Don't work yourself up. I'm sure it's nothing."

"Nothing?" Her mother asked in an upset tone. "And I'm sure you thought her giving that peasant a kiss a while ago was nothing?" She asked causing him to cringe at that memory as she thought for a moment. "You know that's when all of her strange behavior started…"

Her father crossed his arms and looked away. "Bah, damn peasants… you make contact with them in any way and they spread their dreadful habits to you like a plague…"

The door to the throne room opened and one of the castle's servants entered.

"Well?" Her mother asked the servant as he approached her.

He shook his head. "It would appear that Princess Keira has left the castle grounds again."

Her mother let out a disgusted sigh. "Of course… probably out in the town again…"

"Actually she isn't." A voice told her.

She looked back at the doorway to watch as Edwin stepped in the room. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"I ran into her earlier this morning and she said she was going to take a solo walk about the town." He explained as he continued to approach her. "I let her go and stepped out a while later but she was nowhere to be found."

"Well that's just great." Her mother sarcastically remarked. "Now she's gone off to who knows where!" She looked over at her husband. "Maybe you're right; maybe that peasant did do something to her."

Edwin raised his eyebrow in curiosity. "What peasant?"

"Oh just some peasant who apparently saved her life awhile back." She answered as she waved her arm as if it wasn't important. "I'm beginning to doubt if that was even true now."

Edwin began to think for a moment. Could this be the same peasant that he had met at the festival the other day? He suddenly remembered that peasants parting words to Keira that day.

_"I guess I'll see you next time you stop by."_

"_She must have left to go and see that farmer…" _He thought to himself.

Keira's father cleared his throat and looked over at the servant who was still in the room. "Well, whatever the case is, I'd like my daughter to know that I'd like to have a word with her once she returns." He told him. "Rather if she chooses to return."

Her mother turned and looked at him strangely. "What do you mean if she chooses to come back?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, just that she might be better off not coming back at all if she knows what awaits her."

* * *

Even later that morning as the sun began to near the center of the sky, Celia watched silently from the distance with Buddy at her feet as Jack and Keira sat silently on the tree stump in the middle of the field with his arm wrapped around her.

Celia shook her head as she continued to keep her hand placed below her mouth. _"I just don't get it… what does she see in this commoner… and what does he want with her…?"_ She heard as Buddy let out a whine and looked down at him. "What is it?"

He placed his front legs on her and whined again before looking out at Jack and Keira.

"What is it?" Celia asked again as she pulled the bottom of her dress causing him to drop down.

He tilted his head and whined again, almost as if he could read her thoughts.

She sighed and crouched down by him. "Fine, I'm worried about your master, that's all."

He gave a questioning whine.

"It's just that… how can a princess like Keira like a farmer?" She asked. "And… well I'm worried that he's just using her to increase his status."

Buddy gave an angry bark at that comment.

"Well it's not like it's unnatural for a servant like me to think that. It's my job to be worried about her." She told him before looking back out at the pair. "Though he does seem nice…"

He gave a friendlier sounding bark.

"Maybe your right… maybe I should stop worrying…" She paused for a moment before standing up. "Oh what am I saying, you're a dog for goddess's sake, you can't understand me."

He barked a little angrily at her.

She sighed again and looked back out at the two on the stump before looking up at the sky and sighing again. "Look," She began as she looked back down at him. "I have to be getting back to the castle now, just promise me you'll make sure nothing bad happens to Keira."

He gave her an affirmative bark.

She gave him a little smile. "Thanks."

Celia then proceeded to walk towards Jack and Keira.

"Keira." She called out as she approached them.

Keira turned around. "What is it Celia?"

"I'm going to head back to the castle now." She answered.

"You're leaving so soon?" Keira asked.

"Well it's getting a little late and I have my duties there to attend to." She replied. "Do you know how to get back to town from here?"

"You just walk straight that way." Jack told her as he pointed down the path he had shown Keira before on the other side of the field."

"Thank you." Celia said. "I guess I'll see you when you return." She told Keira.

Keira nodded her head.

"Goodbye." Celia said with a quick bow.

She turned around to walk down the path she had just been directed in when Keira suddenly stood.

"Celia wait!" She shouted.

"What is it Keira?" Celia asked as she turned around.

"Celia please you have to promise me." Keira began as she clapped her hands together. "You have to promise not to tell anyone about Jack."

Celia started to shake her head. "Keira, I don't…"

"Promise me Celia! Promise me!" Keira begged.

"Keira this is serious, I don't know if this should be kept a secret." Celia told her.

"Celia please! If my parents find out I know they'll try to hurt Jack and separate us!" Keira told her. "You have to promise me you won't tell _anyone_!"

Celia stared at her silently.

Keira placed her hands on Celia's shoulders and shook her. "Please! Promise me."

Celia looked away at the ground for a moment before sighing and looking up at her. "I… I won't tell anyone…"

Keira slowly began to smile before hugging her. "Thank you Celia."


	19. Anger

Keira was still seated beside Jack on the lone stump in his field even as the day began to draw to a close. She was resting her head on his shoulder while her hand was placed on top of his chest. She had just told him about the argument she had with her mother the other day and the small amount of tears sliding down her face seemed to indicate she was still upset about it.

He felt as she shook her head against his shoulder. "I don't know what to do Jack." She told him. "All I know is that my parents are never going to allow our relationship to happen now."

He slowly rubbed her side to try and calm her down. "It'll be alright Keira, we'll figure this out." He told her to calm her down. "I know there has to be something we can do that'll make your dream come true."

She sighed. "I know and I haven't given up hope yet it's just…" She shook her head again. "I don't know… maybe I'm too impatient… I… I guess I feel like everything should be happening immediately, like I should already be a commoner and not a princess anymore."

Jack placed his hand on Keira's chin and directed her eyes up to his. "Keira, I know you want to be a commoner and I know you probably want it to happen soon but I just don't think that's going to happen. It'll probably take time for us to figure out how to make this work." He gripped her hand that was still on his chest. "But I promise you that I'll always be here to help you along the way."

Her lips began to form a smile as she began to hug him. "I know your right. I know that someday I'll be able to escape my life of royalty and be forever united with you. And for now I'm more than willing to wait for that day to come."

He smiled. "And I'll be more than willing to help you." He told her. "But what are you going to do about your mother?"

She pulled away from Jack and looked over at the ground as she sighed. "I don't know. Hopefully if I just talk to her she'll be able to forgive me, but we've never argued like this before so I really don't know what will happen…"

Jack wrapped his arm around her and rubbed her side again. "It'll be alright, you'll both get past it eventually."

"Yeah… you're right…" She said in a way that seemed to indicate that she didn't fully believe him. She then remained quiet for a moment before standing up. "I should probably get going now…"

"You sure?" Jack asked as he stood up. "You know you're always welcome to spend the night here if you want."

"I know but after what happened yesterday I'm sure my parents aren't going to appreciate it if I don't return before tomorrow." She replied.

"You're probably right." Jack remarked. "I wouldn't want you to get in any trouble."

She gave him a quick hug. "Thank you Jack." She kissed his cheek. "I'll be sure to visit you again as soon as I can."

He placed his hand up on the spot she had just kissed as he watched her quickly walk out into the forest. "I look forward to it as usual." He shouted out to her as she disappeared in the shadows of the trees.

* * *

A strange and unsettling feeling lingered in town air as Keira once again walked through the town in order to return to the castle. There was just something about the evening that felt unwelcoming and she almost felt as if she was being told to stop and turn around with each gust of wind that blew back out towards the forest. But being as determined as she was to go and try to make amends with her mother she paid no heed to this possible warning and continued onward to the castle.

As usual when she arrived at the castle's gate the guards that were stationed there gave her their standard bow but as they came back up she noticed something different about them.

"Good evening Princess Keira." One of guards greeted in an uneasy manner.

"Good evening..." She greeted questioningly.

"Y-Your father wishes to speak with you." The other guard told her sounding nervous but possibly a little happy. "He says he has some important news for you."

Confused, Keira nodded her head. "Where might my father be?"

"Up in the throne room." The first guard answered. "Your mother and Edwin are always with him."

Keira nodded her head once more. "Thank you."

A little uneasy, Keira left the castle entryway and began to head up to main staircase and down the halls leading to the throne room. As she did all the servants she passed would stop what they were doing and smile at her, some of them even saying things like 'congratulations,' or 'I'm so happy for you,' confusing her even more.

What had she done to deserve such attention from them?

With that question in her mind Keira opened the door leading into the throne room to find her mother and her father both seated in their respective seats with Edwin standing beside her father. She stood in front of the doorway and silently stared at them for a moment but as soon as the sound of the door slamming shut behind her filled the room she began to slowly advance towards them. As she got closer and closer that strange and unsettling feeling from before began to slowly return to her as she noticed how upset, yet possibly happy, they were.

"Keira…" Her mother greeted somewhat coldly once she stopped in front of her and her father.

Keira gave a quick bow. "Hello father, mother… Edwin."

"Keira…" Her father began as he stood up and walked over to her. "Your mother and I have been talking about your recent… behavior."

"My recent behavior?" She asked.

"Leaving the castle grounds to go out to who knows where… causing scenes at public events… fighting with your own mother…" He answered. "Where did we go wrong with you?"

"W-Where d-did _you_ go w-wrong with me?" She questioned nervously. She knew arguing with her father could have _very _different results.

He sighed. "Let's not have the same argument you and your mother had. I'd hate to see how it turns out this time."

Keira took a deep breath as she clenched her hands into fists and gave her father a determined look.

"I might as well get to the point Keira." Her father said. "I've become rather concerned with the way you've been acting recently and fear that if it continues you might end up causing harm to the family legacy I've worked so hard on building up." He paused for a moment. "And that is why I've decided... to have you be married to Edwin."

Keira's eyes widened. "W-W-What?"

"I've made my decision Keira." He told her.

"What?" She asked in an angry and upset tone. "Mother! You can't possibly agree with this!"

"Your father and I talked this through, Keira." Her mother began. "Edwin seems to be a nice enough gentleman and is just what you need in order to stop your reckless behavior."

"My reckless behavior?" Keira asked angrily. "Just what is so reckless about my behavior?"

Edwin stepped forward. "Keira my dear, please calm down."

She shot him an angrily look causing him to step back before looking back at her father.

"We've been discussing this all day Keira, from this day forth you are no longer allowed to leave the castle grounds." Her father told her.

"What?" She shouted angrily.

"You and Edwin's wedding will take place a week and a half from today." Her father told her.

"You, you can't do this!" Keira shouted. "This is an outrage!"

"Keira, calm yourself down." Her mother said as she partially stood up from her seat.

"No!" Keira yelled before looking back at her father. "You're not doing this so you can help me, no! You're doing this for yourself!"

"What?" Her father asked. "That's not it at all. I'm doing this so that one day you'll be able to rule this kingdom the right way, like me and your mother have."

"But what if I don't want to rule this kingdom? What if I want to do something else with my life?" Keira asked. She didn't care that she was letting her hidden desires slip out a bit in front of her parents, the news about her forced marriage were angering her so much that she couldn't even think straight.

"What on earth are you talking about Keira?" Her mother asked.

"Not rule the kingdom?" Her father asked. "That's what you were raised to do Keira. There's nothing else you _can_ do."

"No…! No!" Keira shouted. "This isn't fair!" She stared angrily at her father. "This is my life! You have no right to go around and control!"

"No right?" He asked. "Why you have no right to be shouting at me, your own father."

Keira's anger only kept growing. "My father? Why you shouldn't even be considered my father! You were nowhere to be seen when I was being raised! Just like mother!"

Her father raised his hand up as if he was about to strike her with the back of his hand for a moment before lowering it as he took a deep breath. "Now Keira, I know you're upset about receiving this news so soon but your mother and I both agreed it's for the best."

"No!" Keira shouted. "This isn't for the best…" She shook her head. "Not for me… I don't care about growing up to rule your kingdom when the time comes… I have my own dreams… and ruling this damn pitiful kingdom of yours isn't…"

Her thought was cut short as her father's anger seemed to reach its peak as he finally struck her, knocking her down to the ground.

"Enough!" He shouted at her, almost ignoring the fact that he had just struck her. "The marriage is final!"

Keira slowly placed her hand on the red mark on the side of her face, feeling a few tears form in her eyes from the sting it caused. Quickly, she got up to her feet and stared at her father.

"A-As you wish…" She whispered.

Slowly she turned around and left the room.

* * *

"Your almost there Keira!" Jack shouted down to her.

Keira was having that same dream she had just a few days ago later that night where she was attempting to scale the wall that separated her from her dreams. Picking up almost where it had left off, she was just a few inches away from Jack with nothing holding her back.

"I… I almost have it Jack!" She shouted back referring to the distance between her hand and his.

Suddenly she felt again as a hand gripped down on her leg and began to pull her down.

"Get her down from there at once!" Her father ordered.

Ignoring him, Keira continued to reach up towards Jack only to feel more hands grab onto her legs and pull down causing her to lose her grip on the brick wall.

"Jack!" She shouted tearfully as she fell down into the crowd of guards below.

"Keira!" He shouted back to her with his arm still extended out.

"Jack! Help!" She screamed as she was passed along the crowd of guards.

He silently stared down at her from the top of the brick wall seeing that there was nothing he could do.

Her eyes brimming with tears, Keira looked down at herself to see she was no longer wearing her commoner clothes but now in her festive green dress from the other day, her wedding dress. Hesitantly she looked back to see that she was being passed back towards the town's chapel with her father, mother, and Edwin standing in the doorway. She looked back up at the top of the wall in the distance to see that Jack was no longer there.

"Jack!"


	20. Suspicion

The sound of muffled sobs greeted Celia's ears as she stepped into Keira's room early the next morning. She, unlike most of the other servants about the castle, had just been informed about Keira's arranged marriage to Edwin and was hoping that she'd be in a happy mood about it, though the crying she was hearing seemed to tell her otherwise. Her eyes wandered over to the source of the crying and widened when she saw Keira sitting in the center of her bed with her face buried in her pillow, quieting her sobs.

"Keira what's wrong?" She asked as she quickly rushed over to the bedside.

Keira simply continued to keep her face up against the pillow.

"Keira…?" Celia asked quietly.

She only began to cry harder as she tightened her grip on the pillow.

"Keira what's wrong?" Celia asked again. "Why are you so upset?"

Keira raised her head and wiped her tears away before staring at her with her puffy watered eyes.

"M-My parents… my parents…" She told her, choking on her words. "They… they're…" She shook her head and buried her face in her pillow before shouting. "They're forcing me to marry Edwin!"

Celia, seeming to have forgotten about what had happened the other day, didn't understand how this was making her upset. "What… what's wrong with that?" She asked cautiously.

Keira looked up at her appearing to be mad. "W-What's w-wrong with that?"

Being cautious with her actions once again, Celia slowly nodded her head.

Keira's expression changed to one of heartbreak. "Celia… if I have to marry E-Edwin… then I'm going to be forced to stay here in the castle forever… I'll never see Jack again!"

Celia let out an annoyed sigh. "You're worried about not seeing that commoner again?"

Keira's expression only worsened. "Celia… were you even paying attention yesterday…?"

Celia looked away a little embarrassed. "Well I…"

"Did you see that we both care about each…?" Keira asked.

Celia's eyes focused back on her. "Well…"

"Do you even understand how much he means to me?" Keira asked in a heartfelt tone.

When Celia refused to answer Keira looked away and diverted her eyes out towards the small viewable sliver of the forest outside the window beside her bed.

"It doesn't matter now anyway…" She muttered. "My parents said I'm forbidden from leaving the castle… There's no way I can see him anymore…"

"Are… are you sure…?" Celia asked in an attempt to raise her spirits.

Keira looked away from the window and down at the ground as she nodded her head. "They have every guard informed and stationed around all the castle gates and throughout the town. There's no way I can get out…"

"Now Keira, it'll be alright." Celia told her still trying to cheer her up. "Maybe…" She seemed to be at a loss of words for a moment. "Maybe marrying Edwin is for the best."

Keira's head immediately shot up as she formed a hollow expression. "No…" She replied in an empty voice as she shook her head. "I won't allow my parents to trap me in this castle for the rest of my life…"

"But Keira you said yourself that they have all the guards out in order to make sure you don't leave." Celia reminded her. "Just how exactly do you plan on going against them?"

Keira entered a silent state of thought for a moment as she looked down at her feet peering out from the bottom of the pillow she was holding out to. "I… I don't know…" She replied in a sad tone.

"You see Keira? There's no way you can go against your parents. It's best if you just accept the fact that your future is here in the castle." Celia advised.

Keira sighed and tightened her grip on the pillow as she rested her head down on it. "But I can't… my future is out there… with Jack…"

Celia sighed. "Just please promise me you won't do anything reckless."

Keira silently nodded her head.

"Alright then." Celia said quietly.

She turned around and headed back towards the door heading out into the hall before turning back around.

"Please Keira," She said. "Just try to be happy."

Keira remained silently and watched her finish exiting the room.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Keira, having gotten all the crying about the news of her wedding out, was standing out on her balcony once again but instead of looking out at the forest like she so often did she was instead looking at the white brick wall sealing her inside the grounds. If it wasn't for that wall she could simply run through the castle's garden beneath her room and swim across the river beside it in order to so easily gain that freedom she desired and not have to try and devise a plan in order to sneak past the guards, all of which would, in her mind, fail at some point. Suddenly, she began to her the sound of her door opening and walked into her room to watch as Edwin stepped inside.

"E-Edwin…!" She greeted a little surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Well after what happened yesterday I just wanted to make sure you were alright." He replied.

She sighed at the memory of the argument that had taken place in the throne room the previous day and turned back towards the balcony. "I'm fine…"

He took a step towards her. "Are you sure?" He asked. "After… what your father did… I'd understand if you weren't in the mood to talk."

"No, it's alright… my… my father's actions were… justified…" She told him, cringing at every word of her lie. "I… I have been a bit… reckless…recently with my behavior…"

"Well you certainly didn't seem to think that yesterday." He remarked.

"I've had some time to think about it alright!" She snapped in a surprising burst of anger. "I thought it over and realized I was wrong!"

Edwin backed away from her. "Well alright, there's no need to get touchy though."

Keira let out a disappointed sigh. "I'm sorry for yelling. It's just that I'm still upset about my parent's decision to have me wed." She admitted.

"What's there to be upset with?" He asked a little disheartened; obviously upset himself at the fact that she wasn't completely satisfied with the thought of marrying him.

"I-It's not you." She answered quickly. "It's just…" She paused. "It's just that it came as such a sudden surprise to me, especially since I had no say in the matter."

"Well are you alright with their decision?" He asked curiously.

"W-Why of course." She lied. "Their decision for us to get married is…" She cringed again. "Great…"

"Are you sure?" He asked in a way that seemed to tell her he might be able to tell she was lying.

"It's a great idea." She replied. "It's… I'm just going to have to get used to the idea, that's all." She told him before smiling.

"Alright…" He said a little uneasy, possibly due to her strange fake smile. "Well, I'll leave you to… take in the news of our wedding."

Keira nodded her head. "Thank you." She said before resuming her smile.

Still appearing to be a little uneasy, Edwin nodded his head before slowly backing away from her and turning around. Keira continued to smile at his back as she watched him leave and once he stepped into the hall and began to shut the door behind him she turned around and began to head back out onto the balcony, unaware of the fact that the door had not completely shut.

Back out on the balcony Keira looked back out at the forest before putting her hands together and looking down.

"Harvest Goddess…" She began in a rather loud voice. "Please…" She looked up at the sky. "You have to help me… you have to help me escape this wedding so I can be with Jack…" She felt her eyes begin to get a little watery again. "Please…"

Only then did the door to her room finally shut.

* * *

Towards the end of the day, Keira was making her way down to the dining hall for dinner when she one of her family's maids walking down the same hall caught her attention. She was doing anything out of the ordinary, simply walking through the hall, but Keira seemed to have realized something. Quickly, she changed directions and began to head towards one of the castle's other gates made specifically for the use of its servants and maids. When she arrived at the closest one she hid behind one of the stone columns placed in the room around it to avoid being noticed by one of the guards stationed there to make sure that she didn't leave. Carefully, she waited and watched for one for something and when she finally noticed as one of the castle's maids walked through the gate without even a glance for the guards she leaned back against the column and exclaimed.

"Yes!"

Happily, she ran from her position behind the column and in the direction of the servant's quarters on the other end of the castle and just as she had hoped Celia was busy cleaning up her portion of the room she was assigned to when she arrived.

"Celia!" Keira exclaimed as she ran up to her.

"K-Keira?" Celia asked in a surprised tone as she turned around to face her seeing as it was unusual for Keira to venture to this part of the castle. "What are you doing here?"

Keira looked around the room and when she saw that it was empty she leaned in closer to her. "Celia, I need one of your maid outfits.

Celia lowered her eyebrow in confusion. "What?"

Keira clapped her hands together. "Please, I need one of them."

"What do you need one of my outfits for?" Celia questioned.

"The servant's exit." Keira answered. "The guards won't stop me if I use the servants exit."

"But you're not a servant." Celia told her.

"And that's why I need one of your outfits." Keira replied. "If they can't recognize me they won't stop me."

Celia shook her head and backed away. "No… you can't be serious."

Keira shook her hands like a beggar. "Please Celia; I have to get out of here for a while so I can tell Jack about my parent's plans."

"Keira… I… I can't…" Celia replied.

"Please Celia! Please!" Keira begged.

Celia silently stared into Keira's puppy like eyes for a moment.

"Fine…" She finally sighed before turning around and heading to her dresser.

She opened one of the drawers and shuffled through it before pulling out a red dress, along with a white apron and headpiece.

"Here." Celia said as she handed the pile to her.

Keira smiled at her. "Thanks you Celia… now… do you, er… mind?" She asked as she motioned towards the door.

Celia sighed. "Not at all…" She muttered before stepping out.

A few moments later Keira emerged from the room in Celia's outfit while carrying her clothes which she then handed to her.

"How do I look?" She asked.

She then made a quick spin to show off the dress.

"You look… well, like a maid." Celia answered. "But where's your hair?"

Keira turned around and raised up the bottom portion of the white headpiece hanging down her neck to reveal that she was wearing the dress over her hair.

"Is it noticeable?" She asked as she turned back around.

Celia shook her head. "Not at all." She answered honestly.

"Thank you Celia." Keira said as she gave her a quick hug. "I'll be back by tomorrow, promise."

Celia then silently watched as Keira began to make her way down the hall towards one of the servant gates. She knew there was a chance her plan could fail but she did have a small hope in her heart that she would be able to get out of the castle unnoticed, she was her caretaker and always had to hope for the best for her. Once Keira was around the corner she turned around to reenter her room when she suddenly bumped into the body of another person.

"Celia… I'd like to ask you where that friend of yours is heading."


	21. Threats

As she ran through the forest Keira found herself constantly tripping over her condensed hair strands getting knocked about the inside of the dress but every time she fell she'd simply get back up and run faster. She had promised Celia that she would return by the next day and despite how much she'd rather not it was one she intended to keep. Soon, she emerged from the trees into Jack's farming field and she spirited towards his house and began to rapidly pound her fist against the door seeing as he was nowhere to be seen outside.

"Jack!" She shouted. "Jack please open the door!"

After another moment of shouting and banging she collapsed onto the door and leaned against it as her body began to finally take into account her recent energy loss.

"Jack…" She said in a soft voice as she slowly slid down the door. "Please Jack…"

She shut her eyes tightly to prevent the tears forming in them from falling.

"Please open the door Jack…" She whispered.

Finally she heard the voice she came to her call out to her from behind. "Hello?" It asked causing her eyes to immediately open.

"Jack?" She asked as she quickly stood up and turned around to see him standing before her.

Before he could even reply she stepped forward and threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest as she started to cry.

"Jack! It's terrible Jack!" She shouted.

He placed his hands on her and pushed her away. "D-Do I even know you?" He asked curiously.

"Jack it's me!" She told him as she gripped the white headpiece in her hair and tossed it aside revealing the portion of her long black hair not hidden by her dress. "Keira!"

"Keira?" He asked as his eyes examined her closely to see if it was really her.

"Oh it's terrible Jack!" She repeated as she latched onto him once more.

"What? What's terrible?" He asked as he slowly placed his arms around her to show his concern.

"M-My p-parents…" She began between sobs as tears started to fall from her eyes and become absorbed by his tunic. "They've… they've…"

"What did your parents do?" He asked when she refused to continue. "Did they hurt you?"

"They… they…" She paused again. "They want me to marry Edwin!"

She felt his body shake at her news before he pulled her off of him. "What?" He asked in disbelief.

"In a week…" She cried, latching onto him once more. "In one week I'm to be wed to Edwin!"

He pulled her close to his chest and spoke softly. "Keira I…"

"I just don't know what to do Jack!" She continued in a heartbroken tone. "They're trying to forbid me from ever leaving the castle grounds again!" She tightened her grip around him. "But I can't allow them to do that because I know my future is out here with you but there's no way I can confront my parents about this!"

"Keira you have to calm down." He advised as he separated himself from her again.

"But how Jack?" She questioned as she looked up at him with tear filled eyes. "How? How can I be calm when the life I want is about to be taken away from me?"

"Look I know you must be worried about the future right now but you have to calm down and trust me." He told her, seeming to cause her to ease up. "Remember? I promised that I would help you rid yourself of your royal status and that's what I'll do even now."

She wiped away some of her tears on the soft red fabric of her maid's uniform. "R-Really?"

"Of course." He answered as he nodded his head. "I… I feel indebted to you…"

"Y-You feel indebted to m-me…?" She asked in disbelief. "B-But why? I mean you're the one who saved my life, if anything I should be indebted to you."

He looked down at his feet for a moment before staring up at the dark orange and purple sky. "Well… I guess it's just because… you make me happy." He stared into her eyes so she could see the faint sparkles from the stars appearing above reflected in his eyes. "And I'm willing to do anything to repay you for the way you've made me feel recently."

She began to faintly blush at his words and looked down to try and conceal her exposed feelings as she placed her eyes around him. "Thank you Jack…" She said quietly.

Slowly, he placed his arms around her as well and began to softly stroke her back. "Always remember that I'll be here to help you."

She tightened her grip around him. "Don't worry Jack, I…" Suddenly, she broke off as she let go of Jack and placed her hands over her stomach as a sharp pain caused her to fall to her knees and grunt in pain.

"Keira!" Jack shouted as he crouched down and placed his hands on her. "What's wrong?"

"It's my stomach Jack…" She answered as she started to take slow deep breaths. "I haven't eaten in two days… and after all that running and panicking I did today…" She grunted in pain again as she fell down a bit more though Jack was quick to react and kept her up. "I guess I'm just really hungry… and tired…"

"Aw you don't seem so well." He remarked as he slowly placed his arms around her and began to lift her up bridal style. "Let me get you inside."

Keira silently shifted in his arms to get comfortable as he began to walk towards the house. Once he reached it, in order to open the door and not disrupt her at the same time he simply raised his leg up and kicked it open which wasn't that hard considering there wasn't any type of lock or knob to be found on the old wooden door. Inside the house, he walked over to the bed and carefully placed her down on the foot of it as she grasped her stomach once more.

"Wait here." He told her in a concerned voice.

She looked up at him and nodded her head in response before watching him walk over to his cabinet and removing a large loaf of bread from it and then returning to her.

He held the load out in front of her. "Here, eat." He said as she took it from him.

Without saying a word she brought one end of the loaf up to her mouth and began to eat. Content that she was eating, Jack smiled before walking over to the side of the bed behind her and leaning against it. Gently, he gripped a portion of her hair strands that was concealed by her dress and began to slowly pull them out from their hiding spot causing her to let out a slight giggle, likely at the way it felt.

"Oh you don't have to do that Jack…" She told him in a much more relaxed tone than before.

He formed a grin as he chuckled while continuing to remove her hair from the inside of her dress. "What do you mean? I'm sure having your hair in there is pretty uncomfortable. I'm just trying to help you."

She smiled as she finished off the remaining piece of bread in her hands. "Thank you…"

Once the final strand of hair was pulled from the inside of her dress Jack got up from his spot on the bed and walked over to the window and pushed aside the tattered dark red cloth acting as a curtain for it away.

"I take it your staying the night?" He asked as he turned back to face her after looking out at the starlit sky.

Silently she nodded her head without even seeming to give his question a second thought.

He smiled. "That's good." He turned to the door but continued to stare in her direction. "I guess I'll go to my usual spot in the barn."

As he began to walk towards the door Keira dropped her head down as she began to enter a brief state of thought.

"Jack…" She said in a quiet voice just loud enough to cause him to stop.

He turned to her as she looked up at him. "Hm?"

"Do… do you think… you could stay here with me tonight?" She asked innocently.

He lowered his eyebrows and let his eyes wander around the room for a moment as he thought of his response.

"Alright…" He finally answered in a tone similar to hers.

A bit slowly he walked towards the bed and came to a stop when he reached the foot of it, giving Keira a hesitant look. Looking back at the bed and seeing the obvious problem, she briefly got up from her spot before getting back onto the bed only this time underneath the covers.

She shifted over to the edge of the small bed and patted the spot next to her. "Come on Jack."

Slowly, he walked over to the other side of the bed and climbed in only to find himself pressed up against her due to its small size.

He looked over at her causing their faces to almost touch. "Um, are you sure about this Keira?" He asked as he grabbed his end of the sheets almost as if he was about to get up. "If you want I can…"

She placed her hand on top of his stopping him. "Yes Jack…" She replied as she began to lightly push down on his hands causing him to gently lie down as she did the same. "I… I just want you to be here with me right now…"

He gave her another smile as he slowly nodded his head.

Slowly, Keira placed her arms around him and pulled herself even closer to his chest as she rested her head beneath his while he placed his arms around her as well.

"Jack…?" She asked.

"Yes?" He answered in a whisper.

"Do… do you really think you can help me get out of this marriage?" She asked.

He took a deep breath. "Of course I do…" He replied as he began to slowly rub her back for reassurance.

She formed a small smile. "Thank you…"

* * *

The following morning after another quick breakfast of fruit and bread, Jack stood in the center of his field and watched as Keira left for town with her hair hidden away and the headpiece atop her head. Once more he had assured her that he would help find a way to get her out of her wedding yet he truly had no idea on how he would do so. He tilted his head down and placed his hand on his chin as he began to try and formulate an idea but as he turned around to return to his house he felt as his body ran into someone else's knocking him down. He closed his eyes and rubbed the back of his head for a moment and once he reopened them they quickly widened when he saw who he ran into.

"E-Edwin?" He exclaimed.

"Good morning, Jack" He greeted in a strange, seemingly unusual manner. He extended his hand out to him. "Need a hand?"

"Uh, sure, thanks." Jack replied.

He gripped his hand, accepting his offering of help, but was not expecting Edwin to tightly grip his hand and forcefully pull him up.

"Ow! What was that for?" Jack asked as he tried to remove his hand from his grip. "Let go."

Edwin formed a grin. "Sure thing." He replied before tossing him down to the ground.

Jack once again began to rub the back of his head as Edwin walked up to him.

"I'd like to talk about what you were doing with my bride to be last night, peasant." Edwin told him as he now stood over him.

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked.

"Don't try to play dumb with me, peasant." Edwin replied in a commanding tone, using the word peasant in an extremely derogatory way. "I followed Keira here and watched you two last night. Spending the night with her was not a wise move."

"What?"Jack asked. "It was her who wanted me to sleep with her and not the other way around." He told him.

"That's of no importance to me." Edwin told him. "Doing so was a big mistake."

"Oh really?" Jack asked in a threatening manner as he got back up to his feet.

"Calm yourself down peasant." Edwin began in a more relaxed tone as he turned around. "I'm a gentlemen and I'm not in any position to do anything about what's been done. However," He turned back to Jack. "If I see you make any further attempts to try and take Keira away from me I will see that you are both stopped at once."

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked, trying to hide the bit of fear he now felt.

"As Keira's fiancé I am _very_ close to her." Edwin reminded him.

"You… you're not going to hurt her are you…?" Jack asked now revealing his fear.

"Perhaps…" Edwin replied. "Then again I do now know where this pathetic place you call a home is and one word to the king could have you executed…"

Jack stepped back from him. "You wouldn't dare…"

Edwin grinned once more.

"I… I don't understand… why would you try to hurt either of us…?" Jack asked.

"Keira's a very powerful girl… and this marriage to her will help make me just as powerful." He answered.

Jack stopped and thought for a moment. "And what's to say I won't warn her about any of this?"

"You could…" Edwin replied in a way as if he hadn't thought about that. "Then again by doing so her parents would have to be informed about her actions with you, and well, let's think about how her father would feel…"

"You're crazy…" Jack remarked.

Edwin simply grinned again before turning around. "Well I have some business to attend to at the castle." He turned back to Jack and gave a mischievous smile. "That wedding isn't going plan itself."

As he began to make his leave Jack remained in still in the center of his field and watched, unsure of what to do now.


	22. Hurt

Later that day, Keira stepped into her room after she was able to once again successfully sneak past the guards in Celia's maid uniform, having them believe she was a simple servant and not really herself. Now in her room, she walked over to her dresser and pulled out a copy of her typical yellow dress and began to change out of the maid's uniform and into it. As she began to fold the uniform on her bed in order to prepare it for when she would return it to Celia she froze up at the sound of footsteps coming from the hall outside her room and quickly hid the uniform under her yellow bed sheets once she heard the door begin to open.

"Keira?" She heard Celia ask as she stepped into the room causing her to let out a sigh of relief as she leaned over her bed.

"Yes?" She asked as she turned around to face her.

"I was just checking to make sure that you came back like you had promised." She told her as she formed a slight smile. "I'm glad to see you did…" She added hesitantly.

Keira lowered her eyebrows at Celia's unusually remark. "Hm?"

"I don't know…" Celia replied as she shook her head and approached her. "It's just that I was thinking that maybe you might not have returned like you said you would…"

"Why would you think that?" Keira asked curiously.

"Well… you've just been a little reckless with your behavior recently…" Celia answered in a quiet and somewhat ashamed tone. "I was worried…"

Keira shut her eyes tightly as she clenched her hands into fists in anger. "Why is everyone saying I'm so reckless all of the sudden?" She asked in an angry tone as her eyes reopened.

"Well you have to understand…" Celia began a little nervously as she took a small step back. "It's just that your constant trips away from the castle are… unusual… A-And not just for you but for anyone who's of royal status…"

Keira continued to glare at her for a moment before taking a deep breath and becoming less tense. "I'm sorry Celia… I didn't mean to get angry." She turned to the glass doors nearby but kept her eyes fixed on the floor. "I understand why everyone's getting so worried about me all of the sudden…"

Seeing as she was less agitated, Celia began to take a step back towards Keira but stopped once she suddenly clenched her hands again.

"But that doesn't give my father the right to marry me off to someone I don't love!" She shouted angrily as she continued to stare at the ground.

"Keira, please lower your voice!" Celia advised as she quickly moved to her side and placed her hands on her. "Someone might hear you."

Celia continued to keep her hands on Keira's back as she began to take quick, deep breaths in order to suppress her anger.

After a minute she took one final deep breath before speaking. "You're right…"

"Are you going to be okay?" Celia asked as she stepped away from her.

Keira stood straight up and looked back at her as she nodded her head. "Mhmm, but… I'd like to be alone right now."

Without a word, Celia nodded her head and silently left the room.

Later the next day Keira silently stood out on her balcony and looked out towards the forest trees in another deep state of thought. Since her outburst at Celia the other day she hadn't left her room so that she could be alone with the multitude of thoughts that were flooding into her head. With her wedding only a week away she was greatly concerned with how Jack would fulfill his promise of getting her out of it and then let them be together. And then what had Celia meant when she said that she had thought she wasn't going to return? Could her recent actions concerning Jack really give people that impression? And if she could get out of her marriage with Edwin what would become of him? There was just so much on her mind and so little time for her to figure things out.

Slowly she turned around and walked back into her room. Shutting the door behind her, she walked over to her bed and sat down on it only to get back up when she felt a strange lump beneath the sheets. Curious, she removed the sheets to find Celia's maid uniform still neatly folded underneath them, her angry outburst the previous day had made her forget to return it to her when she had the chance. After thinking for a moment she picked up the uniform and brought it over to her dresser and placed it down on it before quickly changing out of her dress and into it once more. She had determined that she would go and visit Jack once more to see if he had come up with anything concerning her marriage.

Just as she was adjusting the headpiece in order to conceal the remaining strands of her hair still visible from outside the dress she heard her door begin to open and quickly turned around.

"Y-Yes?" She asked in a voice slightly higher than her normal one in order to fully disguise herself only for her eyes to widen when she saw it was Edwin who entered the room.

"Oh, I'm sorry; I thought Keira was in here." He answered, seeming to convince her that he wasn't aware it was her though it didn't calm her.

She shook her head while the rest of her body did as well involuntary. "N-No, she's n-not here."

Edwin narrowed his eyes as he stepped towards her seeming to be examining her. "Oh… Well do you know where I might be able to find her?"

She shook her head once more.

He continued to stare at her for another moment before backing away. "Alright, if you see her please tell her I'm looking for her."

"Y-Yes Sir Edwin… I'll be sure to tell her."She told him.

She continued to stand in fear in the center of the room as she watched Edwin leave the room, letting out a sigh of relief when the door finally shut. After waiting a moment in order to get some distance from him she walked over to the door and stepped outside into the hall. Once more she left the castle through one of the servant gates on the side of the castle, and once more she was unknowingly being followed.

It was around noon when Keira arrived at Jack's farm and she was relieved to find that he was out collecting tomatoes that were going out in his field.

Quickly she started to run over to him, calling his name. "Jack!"

He turned around and almost fell down as she threw herself into his arms for a hug. "Keira?" He asked as he looked down at her. "You're back already?"

He felt as she nodded her head against his chest before looking up at him. "I… I just had to see if you've come up with anything yet…" She answered quietly.

He let out a sigh and slowly rubbed her back. "Keira, I told you, I'll try to think of a way to get you out of this marriage but it's going to take some time for me to figure out the right solution."

She sighed as well. "You're right… I guess I'm just being impatient again…"

"It's alright." Jack assured. "We'll figure this out."

"Your right." She agreed before pausing for a moment. "Still… I can't help but wonder what will happen to Edwin afterwards…"

Jack's body shook at mention of Edwin's name as he began to remember his conversation with him the other day.

As the words _"As Keira's fiancé I am__very__close to her" _echoed through his head he looked down at Keira with a great sense of worry as she held him tightly.

"_Will he really hurt her if he knows she's out here?" _He thought to himself. _"But does he even know that she's out here?"_

"Are you okay Jack?" She asked causing him to focus back on her.

"It's…" He began before looking down at her and stopping. Should he really warn her? Edwin was right about that if he warned her about his intentions that word would likely reach her dad and it could only hurt him. Was it worth the risk?

"Jack?" She asked.

"It's nothing…" He finally replied, deciding not to tell her. He placed his hand on her back and directed her towards his house. "Let's go inside and get something to eat."

Silently she nodded her head and began to walk with him to the house as a figure in the shadows shook its head.

It was late in the evening when Keira finally returned to the castle and she was looking forward to having a slightly more peaceful sleep. Once she shut the door to her room she walked towards her dresser and began to remove the headpiece in her hair when she became startled by the sound of her door opening once more.

"H-Hello?" She asked as she stared across the dark room over at it.

"Hello… Keira." Edwin greeted in a cold tone as he stepped into the moonlight from the window.

Keira almost fell back at the sight of him. "E-Edwin?"

"Have fun out in the forest today?" He asked with a hint of anger as he slammed the door shut behind him.

"W-What are you talking about?" She asked nervously.

"I saw you and your little… _peasant_ friend today…" He answered as he began to approach her.

As he neared her she could almost feel his anger and began to back away. "I-I… well…"

He took a large step forward and gripped her arm tightly. "Well what?"

She grabbed onto his arm. "I…"

He gripped down tighter. "Answer the question!"

She tried to remove his hand from her arm but it was no use. "Edwin stop, you're hurting me!"

He pulled her closer to him. "I'm hurting you?" He asked in an angry tone. "How about when I watched you throw yourself in that peasant's arms? How do you think I felt?"

"I-I'm sorry!" She told him almost crying.

Keeping his grip on her arm, he turned around and threw her over at her bed. "It's a little late for that."

He walked up towards her causing her to fall back onto her mattress as he began to lean over her.

"Edwin, what are you doing?" She asked, nearly shouting.

He only formed a grin.

"Celia! Someone! He…" Keira tried to shout only to have Edwin place his hand over her mouth and tightly grip down on it, causing her pain.

"Now, now, my soon to be bride, you don't want to make things worse do you?" He asked rhetorically.

Keira could only start to cry as he tightened his grip on both her face and arm.

"I'll just put it like this…" He began. "You hurt me… so now… it's your turn to be hurt…"


	23. Abandonment

As the sun's morning light began to peak into her room from the windows, Keira continued to keep her face buried in her hands as she cried while sitting in her bed, holding its gold colored sheets up in order to conceal her bare body. Ever since Edwin had left her alone in the middle of the night all she could do was replay the terrible scene that had taken place earlier in her head.

_Flashback_

_Keira could only start to cry as he tightened his grip on both her face and arm._

_"I'll just put it like this…" He began. "You hurt me… so now… it's your turn to be hurt…"_

_Keira furiously shook her head causing him to lose his grip on her face. "E-Edwin… Stop…!"_

_He only grinned as he used his now free hand to grab down on the mid-portion of her dress._

_Her eyes wandered down to his hand but as he tightened his grip on her clothing they quickly returned back to his face, frozen with fear._

"_N-No…" She tried to tell him with her stare._

_Ignoring her look, he began to slowly pull on her dress causing a faint ripping sound._

_Keira continued to give him her begging look. "E-Edwin pleas…"_

_But that was all she was able to get out before he began to forcibly pull on her dress with all his strength causing it to tear off of her revealing the white chemise she wore underneath it._

"_Edwin stop!" She shouted."I'll scre…"_

_Just as Keira's voice neared its height Edwin grabbed onto her neck cutting her off. As she placed her hands onto his arm to try and remove it he let go of her chemise and brought his finger up to his mouth._

"_Shhh… We don't want to make things worse do we?" He asked rhetorically._

_Slowly she shook her head. _

_He grinned once more. "Good…"_

The rest of the evening, though still fresh in her mind, was just too hard for her to remember. The thought that Edwin would do such a thing simply because he had found out about Jack created a strong sense of disbelief in her. He had always been so kind to her and everyone else that it didn't seem like his nature to exact revenge so quickly. Worst of all she knew that he would use his reputation to defend himself if necessary; after all, he had told her so. Once he was "finished" with her as he put it he dressed himself and prepared to leave the room only to turn back at her while she stared at him with tear filled eyes.

"You can say whatever you want about this…" He began. "But if you attempt to blame me for this I'll be sure that the blame will shift towards that peasant of yours… we'll see who your father believes…" And with that he left.

She knew that her father was more likely to believe that it was Jack who raped her and not Edwin or rather that he wouldn't care so long as Jack got to be dealt with harshly. What troubled her more was that she knew that not only would her father believe that, but likely everyone in the town and castle would. At least everyone except Jack.

"I… I knew it Jack… I knew it…" She said quietly as she continued to cry. "I knew I should've stayed with you…"

Once more she felt that resolve form inside her. She had to return out to the forest, she had to go to a place where she could be safe, even if it didn't seem so.

Quickly, she raised her head up and looked down at the floor by her bedside to spot her chemise still lying where Edwin had tossed it and she just as quickly got out of bed and placed it on. Ignoring the torn maid's uniform nearby she ran over to her dresser and pulled out one of her golden dresses and began to put it on as she headed towards the door.

"I-I'm coming J-Jack…" She whispered as tears still fell from her eyes.

Rushing down the halls, Keira quickly ran past a multitude of maids and servants, all of which were concerned with her messed up hair, puffy eyes, and the trail of tears she was leaving behind, none of which was more concerned than Celia, who she quickly passed before she could even speak a word. Despite the orders her father had placed, Keira paid no heed to the guards stationed in front of the main gate and attempted to run past them but they were quick to block her way.

"Princess Keira! Stop!" They ordered as they stood in front of the gateway in order to block her.

"Get out of the way!" She shouted as she ran for the open space between them only for them to block it as well.

"We have… direct orders to keep you here…" One of them told her as she attempted to push them out of the way.

"I… said… move!" She shouted as she forcibly shoved him down to the ground.

With the guard knocked down, Keira was quick to continue her run towards the forest causing the second guard to fall down as he tried to grab her.

* * *

Just like she had multiple times before, Keira quickly weaved her way through the trees down the familiar route leading to Jack's house. Knowing there was a chance that the guards would be out looking for her she had to be fast in order to reach Jack's before they could find her. This coupled with the memories of the previous night still in her head kept the tears in her eyes flowing which she found unable to stop even we she stepped onto Jack's property and saw him just exiting his house.

"Jack!" She shouted as loud as she could in order to attract his attention before running over to him.

"Keira?" Jack asked as he watched her approach him, only to shout it once more after he watched her tripping over a stray root from a nearby tree stump. "Are you okay?" He asked as he knelt beside her only for her to throw her arms around him.

"J-Jack!" She shouted again crying a mixture of both tears of sadness and happiness now.

"W-What is it Keira? What's wrong?" He asked as she tightened her grip on him.

"I-It's E-Edwin!" She told him. "H-He… h-he…"

Jack's body shook from fear.

"H-he raped me Jack!" She shouted before burying her face in his chest.

Jack's body shook again as he pushed her off of him a little. "W-What?"

She only buried her face again. "He raped me Jack…" She repeated quietly. "He saw me with you so he raped me…"

Jack remained quiet as Keira continued to cry on his chest. Just as he had feared Edwin had held true to his word and hurt her simply for being with him. But how was he able to find her out on his farm? But more importantly, was he lurking in the shadows there at that moment? He looked down at Keira. Was attempting to free her worth it? He had to make a choice.

Shutting his eyes Jack pushed Keira off of him and onto the ground.

"J-Jack…?" She asked.

"Leave…" He told her calmly as he looked down.

A confused and heartbroken expression formed on her face. "W-What…?"

"Leave…" He repeated in the same tone.

"W-what's this about Jack…?" She asked in an upset tone. "What's…"

"I said leave!" He shouted as he opened his eyes and looked up at her. "Leave!"

Not understand what was going on his mind, but just as unwilling to find out, Keira quickly climbed to her feet and began to run off into the distance leaving yet another trail of tears behind her.

"T-That's right… leave…" Jack said to himself, lowering his voice with each word.

He fell to his knees and looked down at the ground.

"I-I'm not worth your safety…" He said shamefully.

He continued to stare at the ground for a moment but when he noticed what appeared to be teardrops falling in the soil he looked back up in the direction Keira had just ran.

"C-come back… please…" He whispered.

In the shadows of the trees nearby a familiar figured grinned and backed into the forest.

* * *

_A/N: I know it was a tad __brief but I'm a little stressed right now. I might add some more to this later along with chapter 22._


	24. Cry for Help

Keira didn't stop running from Jack's until she finally reached the water's edge of the Goddess Pond.

"G-Goddess!" She cried as she kneeled down beside the water. "Goddess help me! Please!"

Her heart beat sped up with anticipation as she felt the wind pick up, much like it had when the Goddess first appeared to her, but her anticipation quickly fled when the wind died down but no one had appeared.

"Please!" She cried again. "Please…"

Then she remembered what the Goddess had told her. _"Well you've never offered anything to me. I can only appear when someone offers me something."_

"Y-You n-need an offering?" She asked rhetorically as placed her hand down on the grass beside her and clenched her hand. "Here!"

Just as she finished her cry she picked up a hand full of grass and threw it out into the pond, watching as the blades slowly fell into the water. They floated on the water's surface for a moment causing Keira to become disheartened, only for that feeling to fade away when the wind kicked up once more and the grass blades in the pond disappeared.

"Just what kind of offering do you think this is?" The Goddess angrily asked as she quickly appeared in her spot over the pond holding the grass Keira had thrown in her hand.

"Goddess please you have to help me!" Keira told her as she got back on her knees in a begging like pose.

"Oh, it's you again…" The Goddess remarked as she noticed it was Keira who summoned her once more. "What is it this time?" She asked as she discarded the grass in her hand.

"I… I don't know where to start!" Keira replied, shaking her head.

"Well you can start by calming down." The Goddess advised.

Keira nodded her head.

"Now… What exactly is the problem?" The Goddess asked. "I mean, it's only been a few days since you were last here, what could've possibly happened since then?"

"A lot…" Keira answered quietly as she looked down at her reflection in the pond water. So much had indeed happened since she first talked with the Goddess and she truly had no idea where to start.

"I'm waiting…" The Goddess sighed impatiently.

Keira took a deep breath. "W-Well, I did what you told me to do and did what I felt was best by choosing to be with Jack instead of my suitor but then when I returned home I got in a fight with my mother that ended with her hitting me after I yelled at her so then…"

"Wait." The Goddess interrupted as she held up her hand to stop Keira. "You were struck by your own mother?"

Keira nodded her head.

"That doesn't seem every parent-like." The Goddess commented.

"Please… my father did the same thing a few days later when I argued with him about his choice to have me married to my suitor, Edwin…" Keira replied in a very sad tone.

"First they hit you and then they force you to marry somebody you don't love?" The Goddess asked rhetorically. "Some parent's…"

"T-That's not e-even the worst of my troubles…" Keira told her as she felt more tears form in her eyes from sadness. "L-Last n-night when I w-went back to my castle after leaving Jack's, Edwin was waiting for me… H-he told me that he knew that I was seeing Jack and so h-he j-just threw me on the bed and… and… he…"

Instead of continuing her sentence Keira fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands, she didn't want to continue.

"He, he just… r-r-raped…" Keira choked.

"Stop!" The Goddess ordered. "You don't have to tell me," She told her as she floated down towards her. "I understand…"

Keira continued to cry.

"Look if you're life at home is that bad you shouldn't even bother going back, you should stay out here with that farmer of yours." The Goddess advised. "I'm almost sure that's the right choice."

Keira's arms fell to her sides as she looked down. "I… I can't…"

"Well why not?" The Goddess asked, confused as ever.

"J-Jack…" Keira began as she looked back up at her. "He… He doesn't want to be with me anymore… I… I was just at his farm… and he sent me away…"

The Goddess floated back up to her spot in the center of the pond. "I… I'm not sure what to say then…"

Just then the faint sound of voices in the distance began to fill the open area around the pond, voices Keira recognized too quickly. It was her guards, likely out searching for her. The sound of their voices, though still far away greatly startled both her and the Goddess.

"W-Where are you going?" Keira asked frantically as she noticed that the Goddess was disappearing.

"I'm sorry." The Goddess apologized. "But I can't allow anyone else to see me, not without an offering."

"W-What?" Keira asked in a greatly upset tone.

"Sorry, it's just the way it is…" She told her just before completely disappearing.

"No wait!" Keira cried as reached out towards were the Goddess just was. "Come back! Please!"

Knowing it was useless to try and call her back; she wrapped her arms around herself and began to cry. She knew once the guards out in the forest found her they'd bring her back to the castle and keep her under close watch until the wedding finally arrived, something she didn't want, something she couldn't allow to happen. Then she felt a new resolve form inside of her. She wouldn't allow herself to be married off to Edwin and have her royalty preserved, even without Jack's help she wouldn't allow herself to remain a princess any longer. Slowly, she looked up at the pond.

It wasn't deep, but it was deep enough…

* * *

_A/N: Sorry for another short chapter but unlike the previous one this one was meant to be short._


	25. A Plan

Keira's eyes remained fixated on the center of the Goddess's pond as she began to slowly rise to her feet, almost has if she was stuck in a trance. Everything around her seemed to become still. Even the sound of the guards searching throughout the forest for her began to go silent, becoming replaced by her subconscious beckoning for her to enter the water.

"_It's your only option… You have no choice…" _It told her.

She took a look back at the opening in the trees leading out towards her kingdom.

"I'm sorry Mother… Father…" She whispered. "Your way of life just isn't for me…"

Closing her eyes to prevent the tears forming in them from falling, she turned back towards the pond.

"This is it…"

Taking one final breath of air as the wind flew by she reopened her eyes and took her first step into the water. Returning to her trance like state, everything around her seemed to fade to white as she continued to walk towards her goal. Despite knowing what was to happen when she reached her destination she felt surprisingly calm. Her heart beat at a steady pace and her mind seemed to only be fixated on finally reaching that dream of becoming free. It was within her reach and she was determined to let nothing stop her. That was until she reached the drop off.

Unknown to her, the area surrounding the center of the pond dropped off to much deeper levels than she had planned for. Upon reaching this area of the water her lead foot went straight down into the depths, taking her with her. The surprise of this caused her to gasp for air which instead allowed a large supply of water to enter her lungs. She quickly placed her hands around her neck and began to choke allowing her to sink even further. It was then when the reality of the situation began to set in. The belief that her suicide would free her began to fade and became replaced with her new fear of death. She had to return to the surface of the water, even if it meant a life depression. Though weak, she attempted to swim back up to the glimmering light above her only to find she refused to budge. Quickly peering down she saw that her left leg had become tangled in plant life below, preventing her from leaving.

"No!" She attempted to shout only to have another wave of water to rush into her system, weakening her even more.

Knowing it would take too long to remove her leg from its snare; she looked back up and tried once more to swim back up. No luck. She clenched her eyes shut and began to cry, her tears joining the water that surrounded her. Her thoughts shifted to Jack. She shouldn't have ran from him despite his unforeseen anger. Anything he could have done would have been better than the fate she was no forced to endure. Even a life with Edwin seemed better.

Reopening her eyes, she looked back up at the light above and watched as it faded to black.

* * *

"…"

"… _Keira!..."_

"…_Keira! Wake up!..."_

"…"

"_Keria!"_

The next thing she knew, Keira suddenly felt a large gust of air enter her. She leaned forward a little and coughed up the remaining water in her system before falling back into what felt like someone's arms. It pulled her close to its body.

"Thank Goddess…" A familiar voice whispered. "You're safe… You're okay…"

She let out a moan causing her savior to pull her back.

"J-Jack…?" She asked as she attempted to identify the figure she saw before her as she slightly opened her eyes.

Her vision was blurry but she could still make out the figure as it nodded.

She tilted her head to the side and faintly made out the area around the pond. "H-how…?"

"I chased after you a little bit after I scared you off…" He answered sounding disappointed with himself. "I knew you would be here…"

She looked as if she was going to speak but instead she took a few more deep breaths.

"What were you thinking?" He asked.

Her current condition didn't prevent her from looking down at the ground, ashamed of her actions. "I… I didn't know what to do Jack… I didn't want to live if it meaning doing so with Edwin…"

Instead of yelling at her like she expected, Jack instead pulled her closer to him again. "I'm sorry I yelled Keira." He began. "It was foolish of me. It's just… Edwin told me that he would hurt you if I tried to help you escape the marriage… I wanted to protect you."

Keira closed her eyes. She had almost let her belief that he no longer cared about her killer her.

He pulled her away again. "We have to leave here Keira."

Her eyes opened wider than last time. "What?"

"It's not safe here." He replied. "If… if you really want to escape you're life… we have to leave this kingdom. I don't know where we'll go but we'll find someplace where we can be safe. I promise."

Her eyes began to wander around as her vision became clearer. He was right. She knew that to leave her life of royalty she also had to leave her home behind.

"Alright." She finally answered.

Carefully, Jack lifted her up in his arms bridal style and began to head into the forest.

"You can rest up at my place tonight." He told her. "We'll leave tomorrow."

Keira nodded her head against his chest to tell him that she understood. They had to leave as soon as they could now, knowing the guards would be increasing their search efforts with her missing. Suddenly she remembered something.

"Before we go Jack," She began in a tired voice. "I have to say goodbye."

"What?" He asked as he continued to walk.

"There's…" Her eyes began to flutter shut. "There's someone… I need to say goodbye to..."

* * *

**A/N: Oh yes, it's going to get finished, it being this story. If you haven't noticed I went back and heavily revised chapter one. Expect all other chapters to receive the same treatment as this gets closer to completion. **


	26. Departure

As Keira began to reopen her eyes she couldn't help but feel like she had just slept in a puddle. Despite the extra blanket that was wrapped around her to help dry off her clothes they were still just as wet as when Jack had pulled her out of the pond. Sitting up, she began to slowly look around at her surroundings. The room she was in was lit up by a single candle resting on a nearby table. It wasn't very bright but with the amount of light it was giving off she was able to determine that she was lying in Jack's bed, just as she had suspected. However, he was nowhere to be found. She knew he was likely out somewhere on his property, likely with Buddy at his side, but what he could be up to was a mystery to her. This of course began to fill her with a sense of curiosity. She wanted to venture out into the field to find him but just when she had sat up she was able to tell she didn't have all her strength back. Nonetheless, before she knew what she was doing she found herself removing the two comfortable, but tattered, blankets that were wrapped tightly around her from warmth before sliding out of bed and heading out into the night.

Meanwhile, Jack was out in the stable preparing for their departure in the morning. Though he had never left the area of the kingdom himself, he had stories from merchants back at the marketplace of a nice small town up to the north. Seeing as it was outside of the kingdoms control it seemed like the perfect place for him and Keira to start their new lives together, though it was still a good few miles away. Knowing this he harvested what crops he could from his field and began to store them in pack for his horse to carry on the trip.

Upon placing the last batch of strawberries into the container he felt something clawing at his left pant leg and looked down to meet eyes with Buddy.

"What is it boy?" He asked as he crouched down and began to pet his head.

Buddy shook his head to remove Jack's hand from it and put his ears back as he let out a quiet whimper.

Jack smirked and placed his hand back on his head. "Nothing gets past you, eh?"

Buddy let out a series of whimpers that likely translated to something along the lines of "Why do we have to leave?"

"It's for Keira." He answered as he rubbed his head a little. "She can't stay here anymore and it's our job to help her."

Even though he was sure Buddy understood he let out another whine.

"It's not that bad." Jack began as he petted Buddy's side. "Think of it like an adventure. We'll see some new places, make new friends… it'll be fun"

Buddy shook Jack's hand off him once again before placing his paw on his leg. From the look in his dark brown eyes he could tell that Buddy knew that even he wasn't entirely ready for this dramatic change to his life. After all, he couldn't even begin to count the number of risks they were going to take on this trip. What if they got lost? What if the castle guards found them? What if one of them got hurt? What if they couldn't find a place to live? While he was packing he had also been trying to keep his mind focused on the positive outcomes of their journey but now he couldn't seem to stop the negative ones from pouring in.

Suddenly Buddy gave a quick bark before forming a smile in an attempt to encourage him.

Jack laughed. "Having a change of heart now are we?'

Buddy gave another encouraging bark as Jack began to laugh again only to be quickly interrupted by a quiet, but familiar, voice.

"Jack?" He heard Keira ask.

He turned to the direction of the stable door to see her dimly lit figure peering inside, the light from the moon creating bright streaks down her still wet hair.

"Keira," He greeted as he stood up and walked towards her, taking note of how she was leaning against the open door for support. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." She answered quietly.

"Well that's good to hear." He replied. "I got to admit I was kind of worried you wouldn't be ready come morning."

Keira looked down at the ground in disappointment.

"That's nothing to get upset about." Jack quickly told her. "You're better now, you said so yourself. I'm not worried anymore."

"I guess you're right…" She muttered as she looked off to the side.

Based off her body language, Jack could tell she was still distraught about her actions earlier but before he could say anything she spoke again.

"What I did was stupid wasn't it…?" She asked quietly without looking back at him.

His eyes wandered down to the ground and back to her before he answered. "Look, what you tried to do out over by the pond wasn't the exactly the best option." She lowered her head even further. "But I know that you've been under a lot of pressure and I can understand why you would think that would help."

Keira began to sob quietly and wrapped her arms around herself. "I just never thought any of this would happen… All this arguing with my parents… constantly running away…" She choked on her next few words. "E-E-Edwin… R-r-ra…"

Before she could finish reliving that horrid memory she found herself interrupted by Jack's comforting embrace around her. Quietly, she leaned into his chest and continued to cry, acknowledging his gesture to comfort her.

"It'll be alright." He whispered in a soothing voice after a while. "Once we get out of here there'll nothing to worry about. You'll see."

Keira kept her head buried in his chest for another moment before speaking again. "Now…"

Jack glanced down at her. "Hm?"

"Now!" She shouted as she quickly looked up into his eyes. "Let's, let's just go now! Let's just go and get out of here now!"

"Keira calm down." Jack said in much quieter voice as he placed his hands on the sides of the heavily breathing girl.

She fixed her view on his eyes as she began to try her hardest not to cry. However her efforts were in vain as the stress inside her was just too much at the moment.

"I'm sorry Jack!" She cried as she fell down to her knees and wrapped her arms back around her. "It's just been too much lately… I just can't wait to leave this place…"

Jack got down on one knee and placed his hands on her shoulders. "If you want to leave now then that's what we'll do."

He let go of her shoulders and stood back up before extending his hand out to her just as she looked up.

"We'll leave right now." He repeated as he motioned for her to grab a hold of his hand.

Confused, she grabbed his hand.

"I've got everything packed already." He told her as he helped her up to her feet and led her over to the green pack lying beside his horse. "You want to leave now?" He asked rhetorically, letting go of her hand before picking up the pack and placing it on his horse. "Then that's what we'll do."

Keira simply stared at him as he stood next to his horse, attempting to generate a response.

"Well?" He asked.

She remained quiet for another moment or two before final speaking. "T-Thank you Jack…" She said softly as she scurried over to him and gave him a hug.

As he wrapped his own arms around her, her eyes wandered down to the ground where she took notice of Buddy looking up at the two of them.

"Wait," She began as she pulled away from him. "What about all your animals? We aren't bringing them with are we?"

"Well my horse is going to be carrying our supplies so he's coming with and I couldn't go anywhere without Buddy." He answered.

"But what about your cows?" She asked.

Jack let go over her and placed his hand on the back of his head. "There's not really much I can do about them..." He replied, sounding a bit disappointed. "We obviously can't take them with but I don't know anyone who can take care of them for me… I left what food I had left for them out and kept the barn door open so they can get out once it runs out. I hope they can survive…"

Keira hung her head back down. "I'm sorry… If you didn't have to help me you could still take care of them…"

Jack sighed. "I'm sure they'll be fine, they're smart enough to figure out how to survive, it's nothing to get upset over. Besides helping you get out of here before you get hurt again is more important to me right now."

She looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you Jack."

Jack wrapped his right arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his side, giving her a quick hug at the side before spacing himself a bit from her. He then proceeded to grab the lead rope hanging from his horses halter with his other hand. Giving a light tug on the rope, the horse let out a neigh and stomped his feet around on the ground before advancing forward as Jack guided it out of the stable. With Buddy following closely behind, Jack lead the group into the forest in direction of what they hoped would become their new home.


End file.
